Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Gene Insertion/Deletion Polymorphism in Migraine Patients

Belgin Alaşehirli; Mehmet Gür; Aylin Akçalı; Sırma Geyik; Binnur Bülbül; Derya Sayar; Mustafa Yılmaz; Abdurrahman Neyal; Münife Neyal

Belgin Alaşehirli¹, Mehmet Gür², Aylin Akçalı³, Sırma Geyik⁴, Binnur Bülbül⁵, Derya Sayar⁶, Mustafa Yılmaz³, Abdurrahman Neyal⁷, Münife Neyal³

¹Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Gaziantep, Gaziantep, Turkey
²Iskenderun State Hospital, Iskenderun, Hatay, Turkey
³Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Gaziantep, Gaziantep, Turkey
⁴Clinic of Neurology, Medical Park Hospital, Gaziantep, Turkey
⁵Clinic of Neurology, Mega Park Hospital, Kahramanmaras, Turkey
⁶Clinic of Neurology, Gaziantep 25 Aralik State Hospital, Gaziantep, Turkey
⁷Clinic of Neurology, Gaziantep Cengiz Gokcek State Hospital, Gaziantep, Turkey

Keywords: Angiotensin-converting enzyme, polymorphism, genetic, migraine disorders.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The beneficial effects of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor drugs on migraine attack frequency have been shown. We aimed to study the relationship between the angiotensin converting enzyme gene and migraine pathophysiology.

METHODS: In the present study, to assess whether the angiotensin converting enzyme insertion/deletion (I/D) gene polymorphisms have an effect on migraine attacks, we studied the angiotensin converting enzyme genotypes of 102 migraine patients (35 cases of migraine with aura and 67 of migraine without aura) and 75 age-and sex-matched normal volunteers. Frequency and age of onset of migraine attacks were also assessed according to angiotensin converting enzyme genotypes.

RESULTS: Patients with migraine with and without aura were comparable with each other and the control group with respect to angiotensin converting enzyme genotypes (respectively; p= 0.88 and p= 0.76, p= 0.624). We could not determine a relationship between angiotensin converting enzyme genotypes and attack frequency (p= 0.125), but cases with angiotensin converting enzyme-II genotype showed a significantly younger age for onset of migraine attacks in comparison with the I/D genotype patients (p= 0.021).

CONCLUSION: We believe that further angiotensin converting enzyme gene studies are warranted in younger age groups of patients with migraine and also in different populations.