Oxidative and antioxidative balance in patients of migraine

R. Alp, S. Selek*, S. Ihan Alp, A. Taskin**, A. Koçyigit**

Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine; *Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kafkas, Kars (Turkey); **Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Harran, Sanliurfa (Turkey)

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• Neurology

Background: Migraine is characterized by multiple attacks of severe headaches often unilateral. The molecular mechanisms of migraine have not yet been clearly defined. Disorders of oxidant-antioxidant balance are observed in a number of acute and chronic diseases of the central nervous system. Oxidative stress is also believed to play a role in the pathogenesis of migraine. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study investigating oxidant and antioxidant status of patients having migraine without aura (MWoA) and comparing them with those of age and sex matched healthy controls (CG).

Methods: We evaluated the Total Antioxidant Status (TAS) and Total Oxidant Status (TOS) of the plasma and Oxidative Stress Index (OSI) using a recently measurement method developed by Erel.

Results: Seventy five patients (55 Female, 20 Male) having MWoA who are free of attacks and 65 healthy volunteers (41 Female, 24 Male) (CG) were enrolled in this research. Mean age of the patients with MWoA and the control group were calculated (30.94±10.37 vs 31.0±9.46 years respectively; p > 0.05). Serum TAS levels of patients with MWoA were significantly lower than those of healthy controls (0.72±0.008 vs. 0.80±0.179 micromol Trolox equivalent/L; p < 0.001). Conversely, serum TOS values were significantly higher in patients with MWoA than in CG (15.39±0.770 vs.13.01±0.471 micromol H2O2 equivalent/L; p < 0.001). The mean values of OSI were greater in patients than in controls (1.75±0.59 vs. 1.56±0.57, p < 0.023). Total SH levels were significantly higher in the control group (MWoA: 0.24±0.005; Controls: 0.28±0.005, p = 0.001). Furthermore, there was a negative correlation between the levels of Total SH and the duration of the headaches (r: –0.426, p < 0.001). Likewise; there was a positive correlation between OSI and the frequency of the headaches (r: 0.123, p < 0.002).

Conclusions: In this study, we demonstrated that the levels of total antioxidants were decreased and the levels of total oxidants and the oxidative stress index were increased in patients with MWoA. These findings may be an evidence of exposure to potent oxidative stress in MWoA patients. Further investigations are required to clarify the role of oxidative stress in the etiopathogenesis of MWoA.

Corresponding Author: Recep Alp, MD; e-mail: recepalp@hotmail.com

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