Serum Bilirubin and Their Association With C-Reactive Protein in Patients With Migraine

Increased levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) have been considered as a marker in assessing neurogenic inflammation of migraine patients. An inverse relationship between serum bilirubin and CRP has been observed in various diseases. Therefore, we analyzed serum bilirubin levels in migraine patients, and investigated the relationship between serum bilirubin and CRP in migraineurs.

A total of 86 newly diagnosed migraine patients were consecutively recruited to this study.

Significantly lower median serum total bilirubin, conjugated bilirubin (CB) and unconjugated bilirubin were found in patients with migraine than healthy controls, and the levels of CRP were significantly higher in migraine patients than healthy controls. A negative correlation between CRP and CB was observed in patients with migraine (r = -0.255, P = 0.018). In a multiple linear regression model, the concentrations of CRP remained negatively correlated with CB.

Our study demonstrates that serum bilirubin concentrations are decreased in migraineurs, and CB levels were found to be positively correlated with CRP in migraine patents. However, larger cross-sectional and prospective studies are needed to establish whether serum bilirubin may be a useful biomarker for assessing neurogenic inflammation in migraine patients and eventually guiding the therapy.