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Histamine release from leucocytes in migraine.
Cephalalgia : an International Journal of Headache
|March 1, 1983
Summary
Migraine patients show higher spontaneous histamine release from leucocytes during symptom-free periods. Migraine serum also enhances histamine release from blood donor leucocytes, suggesting a role for histamine in migraine pathogenesis.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Neuroscience
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Histamine is a key mediator in allergic reactions and inflammation.
- Migraine is a complex neurological disorder with potential inflammatory components.
- Spontaneous histamine release (SHR) and its modulation by serum factors in migraine are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate SHR from leucocytes in migraine patients during symptom-free periods.
- To determine the influence of migraine sufferer serum on histamine release (HR) from blood donor leucocytes.
Main Methods:
- Leucocyte isolation using the Day method.
- Histamine assay employing the Shore spectrofluorometric method (modified by Bergendorff and Uväs).
- Comparison of SHR in 17 female migraine patients versus 8 controls.
- Assessment of HR from blood donor leucocytes incubated with migraine patient serum.
Main Results:
- Significantly higher SHR observed in migraine patients (39.7% +/- 13.1%) compared to controls (25.4% +/- 4.2%).
- Migraine serum demonstrated a 14.6% +/- 20.2% increase in HR from blood donor leucocytes relative to their spontaneous release.
Conclusions:
- Elevated spontaneous histamine release from leucocytes in migraine patients suggests a potential role for mast cell or basophil activation.
- Migraine serum's ability to enhance histamine release indicates the presence of serum factors that may promote histamine secretion.
- These findings contribute to understanding the immunological and biochemical underpinnings of migraine pathophysiology.