Plasma Cytokine Levels in Migraineurs During and Outside of Attacks

The hypothesis of cytokines as possible pain mediators in neurovascular inflammation offers a potential mechanism for the generation of migraine pain, but few studies examined cytokine levels in migraine patients. The aim of this study was to determine the levels of TNF-α, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, and IFN-γ in serum of patients with migraine during attacks and attack-free periods. We evaluated 70 patients with migraine. Patients ranged in age from 17 to 55 19 healthy people without any diagnosis of migraine or headache were used as a control group. Levels of TNF-α, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, and IFN-γ in plasma samples were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques. The patients were classified as migraine with aura during attack, migraine with aura outside attack, migraine without aura during attack, migraine without aura outside attack according to migraine form presentation. TNF-α levels in migraine patients were significantly higher than in healthy controls. There was a significant change in serum TNF-α levels in patients with migraine with aura during migraine attacks. The levels of IL-6 high in all migraine subgroups compared to controls. In ictal groups, IL-10 levels were found higher than in interictal groups and healthy controls (p<0.05). Changes of the level of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-10 in the blood of patients with migraine may suggest that neurogenic inflammation participates in the pathogenesis of migraine.