Is there a relationship between serum omentin level and acute phase response in patients with familial Mediterranean fever?

Objectives: Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autoinflammatory disease characterized by frequent attacks and chronic inflammation. Subclinical inflammation continues during the attack-free period. Omentin is an anti-inflammatory adipokine, which plays important roles in the adjustments of glucose metabolism, cardiovascular homeostasis and atherosclerosis. The aim is to investigate the omentin levels in FMF patients and to assess the association with markers of subclinical inflammation in FMF patients such as serum amyloid A (SAA), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP).

Method: This cross-sectional study included 54 consecutive adult FMF patients (27 male, 27 female) and 28 healthy individuals (16 male, 12 female). The FMF patients were separated into 3 groups: (1) attack-free group, (2) active-attack group and (3) colchicine-resistant group. Serum omentin levels were compared between the FMF patients and the healthy control group.

Results: A significant difference was determined between the FMF patients and healthy control subjects in terms of omentin levels (108.05 (19.97-343.22) vs. 199.5 (42.98-339.41) p < 0.05). SAA values were significantly higher in the FMF patients compared with the healthy control group. When the FMF patients were examined as separate groups, serum omentin values were lower in the colchicine-resistant group than in the groups without resistance (76.64 (19.77-224.33) vs. 186.47 (28.41-343.21) p = 0.006).

Conclusions: FMF patients with colchicine resistance are associated with decreased omentin concentrations, probably mediated by inflammation-driven mechanisms. Key Points • Omentin is a type of adipokine which has an anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting the inflammatory cytokine network. • Decreased omentin levels are associated with increased obesity, insulin resistance and comorbidities. • We report that omentin levels fluctuate in various diseases. In addition, we have focused on the levels of omentin in patients with FMF, as it may act as a biomarker for colchicine resistance.

Keywords: Adipokine; Attack; Colchicine resistance; Familial Mediterranean fever; Omentin.