Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase and Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Gene Polymorphisms in Migraine Patients.

INTRODUCTION In this study, we investigated the association of migraine with the Variable Number of Tandem Repeats (VNTR), repeated as 27 base pair, gene polymorphism in intron 4 of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and the insertion/deletion of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene polymorphisms. METHODS One hundred and five migraine and ninety seven healthy female control subjects were enrolled in the study. The patients were subdivided as migraine with aura and without aura, and the frequency and severity of migraine headaches were recorded. The eNOS VNTR (eNOS 4 a/b) and ACE insertion/deletion gene polymorphisms (ACE I/D) were assessed by polymerase chain reactions. RESULT The allele and genotype frequencies of eNOS 4 a/b gene polymorphism showed no difference between the migraine and control groups. The genotypic distribution of the ACE I/D gene polymorphism in the migraine group significantly differed from that in the control group. The DD and ID genotype increased the risk of migraine as much as 2.571 (95% CI-1.138-5.811) and 4.453 (95% CI-2.006-9.883) compared to the II genotype. The same increased risk sustained for both genotypes in the migraine with aura subgroup, but only the ID genotype remained as the risk factor in the migraine without aura subgroup (OR-3.750, 95% CI-1.493-9.420). No association of gene polymorphisms with migraine frequency and severity was observed. CONCLUSION Our findings support the relationship between migraine and the ACE I/D gene polymorphism. However, no association was found between migraine and the eNOS 4 a/b gene polymorphism.