Toll like receptor-4 896a/g gene variation, a risk factor for migraine headaches

ABSTRACT

The pathogenesis of migraine involves immune-mediated mechanisms in the vascular endothelium. Toll like receptor 4 [TLR-4] is a signaling receptor of innate immunity which plays a role in various neuropathologies related to neuron inflammation. This case/control study is aimed to investigate whether TLR- 4 896A/G variation is related to migraine headaches in an Iranian population. A total of 170 migraine patients [130 females, mean age 33.24 +/- 11 years] and 170 age, sex, and ethnicity matched healthy controls [118 females, mean age of 31 +/- 10 years] were recruited. Genotyping was carried out using the tetra primer amplification refractory mutation system [ARMS]-PCR. The frequency of G allele was higher in migraine patients than the controls [15% vs. 4.7%; p<0.0001]. Interestingly, the distribution of heterozygous 896A/G genotype statistically differed between migraineurs and controls [25.3% vs. 8.2%, p=0.00002, OR 3.87, 95% CI; 2.02-7.4]. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that G allele in affected female migraineurs is an independent factor associated with increased risk of migraine [OR 3.2, 95% CI 1.23-8.24, p=0.01]. Our results showed TLR-4 polymorphism as a genetic risk factor for migraine. However, further studies in different populations are required to elucidate the precise role of TLR-4 896A/G mutation in susceptibility to migraine.