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Evaluation of simple inflammatory blood parameters in patients with migraine

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Irish Journal of Medical Science (1971 -) Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Aim

This study aimed to identify the serum neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte/lymphocyte ratio (MLR), platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and C-reactive protein (CRP)/albumin (CAR) ratios among patients with diagnosis of migraine according to migraine subtypes (attack/attack-free period, migraine with or without aura, episodic/chronic migraine, family history/no family history) and to collect data to investigate the role of inflammation and oxidative stress in etiology.

Method

The study was completed with 235 patients with migraine diagnosis classified according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders-2013(ICHD) classification and 166 healthy controls. Patients with migraine were assessed during the attack by emergency medicine specialists in the emergency room and in attack-free periods in neurology clinics by neurology specialists.

Results

Of patients with migraine, 77.02% were female and 22.98% were male. The neutrophil, NLR, PLR, and MLR levels were higher than the control group (p < 0.05). The serum CRP, neutrophil, NLR, MLR, and CAR levels were higher, and albumin and lymphocyte levels were lower during migraine attack periods (p < 0.05). Migraines with aura were observed to have higher serum NLR levels compared to the aura-free patients (p < 0.05). Migraine patients with positive family history were found to have higher NLR levels compared to patients without a family history (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Although non-specific, serum NLR, MLR, PLR, and CAR levels may be potential biomarkers associated with migraine subtypes with different clinical features such as migraine attack period, migraine with aura, and patients with family history of migraine. Elevated inflammatory markers may indicate the severity of disease.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ordu University Education and Research Hospital, Bucak Mh. Ordu Üniversitesi Eğitim Araştırma Hastanesi, Pk:52200 Merkez, Ordu, Turkey

    Hülya Olgun Yazar & Şükran Kaygisiz

  2. Ordu State Hospital, Ordu, Turkey

    Tamer Yazar

  3. Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ordu University Ordu, Ordu, Turkey

    Ali Aygün

  4. İstanbul Yeni Yüzyıl University Gaziosmanpaşa Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey

    Dursun Kirbaş

Authors
  1. Hülya Olgun Yazar
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  2. Tamer Yazar
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  3. Ali Aygün
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  4. Şükran Kaygisiz
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  5. Dursun Kirbaş
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Contributions

All authors contributed to involve in designing the study, collecting the data, analyzing the data, writing the manuscript, and confirming the accuracy of the data and the analyses. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Hülya Olgun Yazar.

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The study was approved by Ordu University Education and Research Hospital ethics committee with decision number 2018/199. Consent was not required as files were retrospectively screened.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Yazar, H.O., Yazar, T., Aygün, A. et al. Evaluation of simple inflammatory blood parameters in patients with migraine. Ir J Med Sci 189, 677–683 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-019-02136-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-019-02136-y

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