A Call for Action for an Integrated National Registry of Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) Patients and MEFV Gene Variants in Iran

Abstract

Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) was the first described hereditary autoinflammatory disorder, mainly reported in the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern populations, including Turks, Iranians, Azerbaijanis, Armenians, Arabs, Spaniards, and non-Ashkenazi Jewish groups, especially Sephardic Jews. Iran has the potential to become a leading country in advancing research about this disorder, due to its large population and ethnic diversity. There are considerable valuable studies on FMF and its responsible gene, called Mediterranean Fever (MEFV) gene, across various cities and ethnics in Iran; however, they are limited and mostly conducted in cross-sectional design. Also, the previous registry program had considerable limitations and seems to be inactive for years. In this paper, we adressed the importance and necessity of the national registry of FMF patient and MEFV gene variants in Iran, as well as the current challenges in FMF diagnosis and treatment which could be explored in the future studies.