Proinflammatory Plasma Cytokines in Children With Migraine

Toward understanding the role of cytokines in migraine, this study focused on selected proinflammatory cytokines. The study group consisted of 21 children who had migraine with and without aura; the control group was 24 children with episodic tension-type headache. Plasma interleukin-1α was undetectable in 19 control subjects with tension-type headache, but was detectable in 16 patients with migraine, which suggests that interleukin-1α level might be higher in migraine. Soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 in the migraine group was significantly higher than in the control group (P < 0.0005). Migraine patients tended to have increased tumor necrosis factor α level, compared with the control group. The interleukin-1α level was significantly higher in migraine with aura than in migraine without aura (P < 0.05). Tumor necrosis factor α and soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 levels tended to be increased in the migraine with aura subgroup. The results suggest that proinflammatory cytokines may be involved in the pathogenesis of migraine attacks, although fluctuations in cytokine levels could be different in children than in adults. Such difference could be due to long medical history of migraine in adult patients and frequent intake of analgesic drugs or prophylactic treatment.