Is Neutrophils / Lymphocytes Ratio Affected During 'Migraine Attacks with Aura' in Migraine Patients?

Abstract

Purpose: The formation and pathophysiology of migraine attacks with aura are still ambiguous. Sterile inflammation is claimed to play a role in the pathogenesis of migraine. Neutrophil / lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is an inexpensive and practical indicator that can be well detectable from a complete blood count (CBC). This study, it was aimed to compare NLR in migraine patients, during attacks with aura, and without attack. Methods: A total of 98 patients diagnosed with migraine headache with aura and 34 healthy individuals without migraine were analyzed. All subjects were evaluated in terms of age, gender, CBC. NLR results were compared with migraine attacks with aura, periods without attacks, and 34 healthy controls. Results: The 98 patients, migraine with aura, had higher NLR values during attacks than migraine-free episodes and controls (p = 0.000, p = 0.000, respectively). Conclusions: NRL is a marker of inflammation, and we determined that NLR increases in migraine attacks especially as in other acute inflammatory situations. Pain can be prevented by taking, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and triptans which inhibit neurogenic inflammation and neuroinflammation in the cascade, early at the onset of attacks.

Keywords

• Headache
• inflammation
• inflammatory markers
• migraine
• Neutrophil / Lymphocyte Ratio

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