The recent progress of cellular biology has clarified many molecular mechanisms behind monogenic ADs, such as familial Mediterranean fever, tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated periodic syndrome (or ‘autosomal dominant familial periodic fever’), cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome, mevalonate kinase deficiency, hereditary pyogenic diseases, idiopathic granulomatous diseases and defects of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. This evidence concerns the gene MVK and familial Mediterranean fever.