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Cem Sungur, MD, PK (PO Box) 272, 06693 Kavaklidere, TR-Ankara (Turkey) with FMF were compared to 5 chronic hemodialysis patients with different renal disease. None of these patients had active inflammatory disease (e.g. active SLE) or infectious complications. All of the patients were dia-lyzed with cuprophane membranes and acetate-containing dialysate. The duration of renal replacement therapy, daily urinary output, and frequency of hemodialysis sessions were comparable between these two patient groups. All patients with FMF and AA-type amyloidosis were receiving colchicine 1.0 mg/ day regularly. ß2M levels were measured in venous samples drawn before the initiation of Dear Sir, AA-type renal amyloidosis secondary to familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is a frequent disease leading to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in certain ethnic groups [1, 2]. The disease is characterized with recurrent inflammatory episodes in which several cyto-kines are elaborated [3, 4]. It has been shown that beta-2-microglobulin (ß2M) which is the precursor protein of dialysis-related amyloidosis (DRA) is elevated during acute inflammatory attacks [5]. In order to examine whether patients with FMF receiving regular dialysis treatment have more pronounced levels of ß2M, the serum ß2M levels of 5 patients Table 1.ß2M levels in dialysis patients with and without FMF Duration Frequency Urine Serum of dialysis of dialysis volume ß2Mmonths week ml/24 h μg/ml dialysis (LiaMat-Cambridge Life Sciences). The normal level for this kit was 0.3-2.0 μg/ ml and the upper limit was 75.0 μg/ml. The patient characteristics and results are shown in table 1. It has been established that once a uremic state develops the frequency and severity of acute attacks of FMF subside and colchicine effectively inhibits these attacks. Our data also show that higher ß2M levels are not found in dialysis patients with FMF who are receiving colchicine, and higher levels are observed with longer intervals of renal replacement treatment and decreasing urinary output. It may be speculated that they are not at increased risk for a second type of amyloid deposition in shorter periods than other dialysis patients.