Biologic therapy in familial Mediterranean fever

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is the most common autoinflammatory hereditary disease characterized by self-limited attacks of fever and serositis. Although colchicine is the gold standard treatment for the attacks similar to 10% of cases of FMF are resistant or intolerant to effective doses of colchicine. In such cases, however, there are increasing numbers of case reports or clinical trials treated by biologic agents which directly target the proinflammatory cytokines. Anti-interleukin-1 (IL-1) treatment has proven beneficial in improving the inflammation in terms of clinical manifestations and laboratory findings in clinical trials. Furthermore, antitumor necrosis factor treatment has also revealed the efficacy and safety in patients with colchicine-resistant FMF. More recently, cases of successful treatment with IL-6 inhibitor, tocilizumab (TCZ), has been reported from Japan and Turkey. Of note, TCZ may be preferable in the treatment as well as the prevention of secondary amyloidosis of FMF patients since it significantly suppresses acute inflammatory response. In the present review, we summarize the literatures regarding the efficacy of biologic therapy in colchicine-resistant or -intolerant patients with FMF.