Correlations between the monocyte to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio and white matter hyperintensities in migraine

ABSTRACT

Objective: This study aimed to establish whether there is a relationship between the Monocyte to High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio (MHR) white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and whether it can be used as a new marker for predicting disability and severity of attack.

Materials and methods: This case–control study included 201 migraine patients (114 without WMHs and 87 with WMHs) and 150 healthy control subjects. Intensity of pain was determined by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and disability rates were determined by Migraine Disability Assessment Scale (MIDAS). Blood samples were taken for hematological and biochemical measurements. MHR ratios were calculated and compared statistically with the control group.

Results: The mean MHR rate was established to be 15.04 ± 5.63 in migraine patients and 9.3 ± 2.95 in control group. This difference was statistically significant (p <0.001). The cut-off value of MHR was 12.9 in patients with migraine compared to the control group. There was a statically significant positive correlation between MHR ratio and VAS score and MIDAS stage (r: 0.424, r: 0.356 respectively), (p <0.001). Furthermore, MHR was higher in migraine patients with WMHs than those without WMH (p <0.001).

Conclusion: In this study, especially in patients with episodic migraine with WMHs, MHR was found to be statistically significant as a marker for endothelial dysfunction. This finding contributes to the pathogenesis of migraine and may be used as an independent marker for predicting disability and WMHs. However, large-scale studies are needed to produce clearer results.

KEYWORDS:

• Migraine
• monocyte
• High-Density Lipoprotein
• white matter hyperintensities
• disability

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.