Platelet size: no correlation with migraine or monoamine oxidase activity

Assessment of inflammation with hematological parameters in patients with migraine and tension-type headache: a prospective study from a tertiary care center

Aim: To investigate the role of inflammatory markers in patients with an acute headache attack. Materials & methods: This prospective controlled observational study comprised 150 subjects (migraine with aura [MA] n = 51, migraine without aura [MO] n = 51, tension-type headache n = 48, healthy controls n = 80). White blood cells (WBC), neutrophil, lymphocyte and platelet counts, mean platelet volume, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio were documented. Results: MA and MO constituted 14.2% of the admissions to the emergency department due to headaches. In addition, MA and MO had higher WBC and MO showed higher neutrophil count during the attacks than healthy control (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Although inflammatory parameters, including WBC and neutrophil counts, were high in headache patients, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio did not show a significant rise. Clinical trial registration: NCT04891848.

Predictive value of laboratory parameters in childhood migraine

Migraine is a neurovascular disease characterized by inflammation of the cerebral and extra cerebral vessels and appears in the form of attacks. Although the pathophysiology of migraine is not fully known, the data obtained because of long-term studies reliably support the presence of a potential relationship between migraine pathogenesis and platelet biology. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of migraine on MPV and other blood parameters as well as the relationship between the hematologic parameters and characteristics of the headache and whether they possess diagnostic value as inflammation and platelet biology play a fundamental role in the disorder. The study group consisted of 56 patients who were followed up and treated with a diagnosis of migraine and 45 healthy patients. The median creatinine, CRP and TSH values of the children in the migraine group were found to be statistically significantly higher than the healthy control group. Serum iron levels of the migraine group were found to be statistically significantly lower than the control group. No statistically significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of MPV. However, when we examined only the patient group, we found MPV to be statistically significantly higher in girls. Increased MPV and decreased serum iron levels may be related to migraine. More comprehensive studies including a larger population are required to evaluate the specific parameters that may guide the follow-up and treatment of the disorder with simple tests to be used in routine practice and to elucidate the underlying pathophysiology.

Comparison of Thrombocyte Count Between Pediatric Patients With Migraine or Tension-Type Headache: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Hypercoagulability may explain the increased risk of thromboembolic cerebrovascular events in patients with migraine. Thrombocytes play a crucial part in the coagulation process, and some studies have demonstrated hyperaggregation of thrombocytes in adult migraineurs. We aimed to compare thrombocyte count between pediatric patients with migraine or tension-type headache and to evaluate the correlation of thrombocyte count with headache parameters. The electronic database of a tertiary pediatric headache clinic was retrospectively searched for all children and adolescents diagnosed with migraine or tension-type headache in 2016-2018. Data on thrombocyte counts were collected from the medical files and compared between the groups by parametric and nonparametric statistical tests. The cohort included 299 patients, 176 girls (59.0%) and 123 (412.0%) boys, of mean age 12.2 ± 3.4 years; 198 had migraine and 101 had tension-type headache. Among the laboratory parameters evaluated, a significantly lower mean thrombocyte number was found in the migraine group than in the tension-type headache group (282 ± 60 vs 304±71 ×10³/μL, P = .004). Within the migraine group, there was a significant negative correlation between the thrombocyte count and the duration of headache attacks in hours (P < .05). No significant between- or within-group differences were found in other laboratory parameters. The low relative thrombocyte count in pediatric headache clinic patients with migraine and its negative correlation with duration of migraine suggest that migraine may be associated with a different underlying pathogenesis from tension-type headache.