Systemic lupus erythematosus and familial Mediterranean fever: a possible negative association between the two disease entities – report of four cases and review of the literature

Serositis is a common clinical manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), as well as being the hallmark of familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), the most prevalent monogenic disease in the Jewish population. We have treated four patients who suffered from both SLE and FMF since 2001 in our clinic, which also serves as the national center for FMF. Our cases illustrate both similarities and dissimilarities between the clinical manifestations of these two diseases, an aspect which should be borne in mind, especially in the young female patients. In general, it seems that co-occurrence of FMF moderates the presentation of lupus.