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Abstract
Background: Previous studies have described an association between migraine and endothelin, a potent vasoconstrictor.
Objective: To test the association between migraine and gene polymorphisms of the endothelin system.
Methods: A population-based study of elderly individuals (n = 1,188) in Nantes (western France) was conducted. Lifetime migraine was defined according to the International Headache Society criteria, after an interview with a headache specialist. Five polymorphisms in genes encoding endothelin 1, endothelin type A (ETA), and type B receptors were determined in more than 90% of the sample.
Results Migraine was diagnosed in 140 participants (11.9%). The ETA (−231 A/G) polymorphism was the only polymorphism significantly associated with migraine. There was a trend of decreasing prevalence of migraine with number of copies of the G allele (AA genotype: 15.7% of participants with migraine, AG: 9.7%, GG: 2.9%; p < 0.001). Carrying the G allele was associated with a sex- and age-adjusted odds ratio of 0.50 (95% CI, 0.34 to 0.74). The association was observed in both sexes and was stronger in participants with a family history of severe headaches than in those without. Conclusions: A variant of the ETA receptor gene modulates the risk for migraine. These results offer new insights into the pathophysiology of the vascular component of migraine.
- Received January 23, 2001.
- Accepted March 15, 2001.
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