Background Familial Mediterranean fever(FMF) is a chronic autoinflammatory disease, and thus there may be an abnormality in the oxidative stress level of FMF patients. Zinc (Zn)is an anti-inflammatory agent and it plays an important role on oxidative stress.

Objectives We aimed to determine Zn blood levels and oxidative stress status in patients with FMF and compare these characteristics with those in healthy controls.

Methods Fifty patients with FMF during attack period (AP), 38 patients with FMF during attack free periods (AFP) and 30 healthy controls were enrolled to the study. Oxidative status included total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant status (TOS) and calculation of oxidative stress index (OSI) in sera of FMF patients and healthy controls. Serum Zn levels were measured spectrophotometrically.

Results Levels of Zn (58.26±15.64 μg/dl and 68.78±13.58 μg/dl vs 95.20±17.61 μg/dl; p<0.001) and TAC (1.22±0.24 and 1.17±0.21 vs 1.54±0.18; p<0.001) were significantly lower in FMF-AP group and FMF-AFP group when compared with HC group, respectively. The Zn levels and TAC levels in FMF-AP group were also markedly lower (p<0.001) when comparing FMF-AFP group. Levels of TOS (17.46±13.87 and 9.43±5.79 vs 3.34±1.18) and OSI (1.56±1.45 and 0.83±0.52 vs 0.21±0.08; p<0.001) were significantly higher in serumof FMF-AP group and FMF-AFP group compared with HC group, respectively. The TOS levels and OSI values were also significantly higher (P<0.001) in FMF-AP group than FMF-AFP group. For the FMF patient group, a significant positive correlation was observed between serum Zn levels and TAC (r =0.486, p<0.001 and r =0.397, p<0.001, respectively).

Conclusions Our study demonstrated that Zn levels were decreased in serum and oxidative stress were increased during AP in patients with FMF. It is not known that these findings are primary results or secondary affects of attacks of FMF.

Disclosure of Interest None Declared