Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Gene Insertion/Deletion Polymorphism in Migraine Patients

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.