Helicobacter pylori infection and migraine

The study is aimed to ascertain whether the Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection is responsible for the vulnerability to oxidative stress observed in migraineurs. Hp serological positivity was assessed by ELISA evaluation of specific IgA and IgG antibodies in 30 subjects (11 males and 19 females) suffering from migraine without aura during the headache-free period. The Hp infection was detected in 16.7% of migraineurs. Plasma accumulation of peroxidative substances (TBA-RS), an index of systemic oxidative status, was increased in migraineurs without Hp infection with respect to controls (P< 0.001), while no significant differences of TBA-RS were found in migraineurs with or without Hp infection. Unmodified values of plasma nitrite/nitrate concentrations, expression of systemic nitric oxide (NO), were obtained in migraineurs in comparison to controls indicating that Hp infection does not modify the plasma oxidative status and the systemic NO bioavailability of migraineurs. In conclusion, our results do not support any specific correlation between Hp infection and migraine.