# Assessment of Nutritional Status in Children with Familial Mediterranean Fever Using Prognostic Nutritional Index and Controlling Nutritional Status Score: Relationship with Clinical Findings and MEFV Mutations

## TL;DR

This study found that children with Familial Mediterranean Fever have different nutritional status indicators compared to healthy children, with higher cholesterol linked to more symptoms.

## Contribution

The study introduces the use of CONUT and PNI scores to assess nutritional status in children with FMF and links cholesterol levels to symptom frequency.

## Key findings

- CONUT scores differ between children with FMF and healthy children.
- Higher total cholesterol in FMF children correlates with more symptom days.
- Monitoring cholesterol in FMF children may prevent complications like amyloidosis.

## Abstract

What are the main findings?
The distribution of CONUT scores by subcategory differs between kids with FMF and healthy kids.Higher total cholesterol levels in children with FMF are associated with an increased number of symptom days.

The distribution of CONUT scores by subcategory differs between kids with FMF and healthy kids.

Higher total cholesterol levels in children with FMF are associated with an increased number of symptom days.

What are the implications of the main findings?
Routine monitoring of total cholesterol levels in children with FMF may reduce the risk of complications such as amyloidosis and persistent malnutrition.Routine monitoring of total cholesterol levels in children with FMF may reduce the number of symptom days.

Routine monitoring of total cholesterol levels in children with FMF may reduce the risk of complications such as amyloidosis and persistent malnutrition.

Routine monitoring of total cholesterol levels in children with FMF may reduce the number of symptom days.

Background/Objectives: The effect of nutritional status on the prognosis of Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF), a hereditary autoinflammatory illness, is unclear. This research aims to investigate whether nutritional status indicators, such as the Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score and the Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), differ in kids with FMF compared to healthy kids. It also aims to investigate the possible relation between these indicators and the types of MEFV gene mutations detected in kids with FMF. Methods: The research included 90 kids with FMF and 90 healthy children as controls. The FMF group was further divided into three subgroups based on MEFV gene mutation status. The PNI and CONUT scores of these groups and subgroups were compared. Results: A difference was found in the distribution of CONUT scores in the FMF group compared to the healthy group. However, there was no difference in the distribution of PNI between the two groups. C-reactive protein, triglyceride, and total cholesterol values were higher in the FMF group than in the control group. A difference was also determined between the two groups in the distribution of total cholesterol scores categorized by CONUT score. A negative correlation was found between this categorized score and the number of symptom days. No significant difference was found in the distribution of PNI and CONUT scores among subgroups based on MEFV gene mutation status. Conclusions: In children with FMF, total cholesterol levels should be routinely monitored longitudinally, even if they remain within reference values, to prevent some complications in adulthood.