Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) is an autoinflammatory disease, while Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is autoimmune in nature. We hypothesize that the underlying autoinflammatory processes and treatments used in FMF could potentially influence the pathogenesis and progression of MS, leading to variations in disease expression. This hypothesis explores the intersection of autoinflammation and autoimmunity, providing insights into how such interactions may affect the clinical outcomes of patients with both conditions.

Mean follow-up duration was 69 months in FMF-MS group. The age and gender distribution of the groups were similar. However, the number of patients with a family history of other autoimmune diseases was significantly higher in the FMF-MS group. (p:0.001) The presence of oligoclonal bands was comparable between the  groups. In the FMF-MS group, 2.4% of patients met the criteria for primary progressive MS (PPMS), compared to 7.8% in the iMS group. The analysis revealed that in relapsing remitting MS patients FMF comorbidity did not pose a risk for the development of a second attack. The annual relapse rate was similar between the groups, with comparable follow-up durations. The EDSS at last follow up was similar between the groups. However, during the follow-up period, the proportion of patients requiring high-efficacy drugs due to relapse or MRI activity was significantly higher in the iMS group. (p:0.03)

Although FMF comorbidity appeared to be associated with lower disease activity, demographic and clinical characteristics were comparable with iMS.