The clinical and genetic features of patients with hyper-immunoglobulin D syndrome (HIDS)

Introduction Mevalonate kinase deficiency (MKD) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder causing 1 of 2 phenotypes, hyperimmunoglobulin D syndrome and mevalonic aciduria, presenting with recurrent fever episodes, often starting in infancy, and sometimes evoked by stress or vaccinations. This autoinflammatory disease is caused by mutations encoding the mevalonate kinase (MVK) gene and is classified in the group of periodic fever syndromes. HIDS is characterized by recurrent fever attacks of 3-7 days that begin in infancy and recur every 4-6 weeks. The febrile period is accompanied by lymphadenopathy, arthralgia, abdominal pain, diarrhea, aphthous ulcers, and varying degree of skin involvement. The course and severity of the disease may be quite different. There is no effective or proven therapy for HIDS.