Effect of Maternal Familial Mediterranean Fever on Fetal Pulmonary Artery Acceleration/Ejection Time

INTRODUCTION: Autoinflammation and increase in free oxygen radicals due to maternal familial mediterranean fever (FMF) may affect fetal lung maturation and cause changes in fetal pulmonary artery Doppler parameters. We aimed to investigate the fetal pulmonary artery acceleration time/ejection time (PATET) ratio in the pregnancies complicated with familial mediterranean fever (FMF).
METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 32 pregnant women with FMF, and 64 gestational ages matched healthy pregnant women, between the 29-30 gestational weeks. Maternal characteristics and fetal ultrasonographic information were recorded. Fetal pulmonary artery acceleration time (AT) and ejection time (ET) were measured manually and PATET ratio were calculated in the study groups. The duration of the disease and the AT and PATET measurements were analyzed with the Pearson correlation test.
RESULTS: The study groups were similar in terms of maternal characteristics, gravidity, parity and gestational week at the time of examination. AT and ET values were found to be significantly shorter and PATET (AT/ET) was found to be significantly lower in pregnant women complicated with FMF. A moderately significant negative correlation was found between the time elapsed since FMF diagnosis and fetal pulmonary artery acceleration time. (r=-.566, p=.001) and PATET (r=-.533, p=.002)
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: This is the first study to investigate the fetal pulmonary artery Doppler indices in the pregnancies with FMF. In the presented study, it was shown that FMF significantly shortened the fetal pulmonary acceleration and ejection time and significantly reduced the PATET ratio. In addition, as the time elapsed from the diagnosis of the disease increased, it was shown that the shortening in AT and the decrease in PATET were higher, with a significant moderate negative correlation between the duration of the disease and these values.