Examining the correlation between salivary cytokine concentrations and CRP in people experiencing social-cognitive stress

ABSTRACT

Objectives

The study aims to determine the relationship of migraine and chronic tension-type headache (TTHs) with alterations in the salivary markers of inflammation . -

Methods

The prospective study involved 75 patients . The concentrations of inflammatory markers (CRP, IL-1 β, and IL-6) in migraine and chronic TTH patients were determined in distinct time points: headache-free period (interictal period), during headache (ictal period), day after headache attack. The STAI-Y (State Trait Anxiety Inventory – Y) and BDI (Beck Depression Inventory) questionnaires were used to measure the level of anxiety and depression in the interictal and ictal periods.

Results

The interictal levels of CRP, IL1-β, and IL-6 were significantly higher in headache groups compared to healthy controls (p < 0.001). Differences in the ictal concentrations were even stronger. Twenty-four hours after headache attack, patients with migraine and chronic TTH experienced a decrease in CRP, IL1-β, and IL-6 levels; yet, those levels were still higher compared with the interictal ones. The repeated analysis of variance revealed no significant statistical differences in CRP, IL-β, and IL-6 levels between the migraine and TTH groups over time (p > 0.05). Statistically higher levels of anxiety and depression were seen in unhealthy groups (p < 0.01).

Conclusions

The relationship of CRP, IL1-β, and IL-6 concentrations with migraine and chronic TTH has been established. No statistically significant differences were found in the dynamics between migraine and chronic TTH groups. There was a direct correlation of migraine and chronic TTH with anxiety and depression.

KEYWORDS:

• Migraine
• tension-type headache
• C-reactive protein
• interleukin 1 beta
• interleukin 6
• anxiety
• depression

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Data will be available on request.

Additional information

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Notes on contributors

Eric Chun Pu Chu

Eric Chun Pu Chu is a Chief Business Officer at the New York Chiropractic and Physiotherapy Center EC Healthcare, Hong Kong, China. He leads over 100+ physicians across disciplines in managing clinical diagnosis and treatments of patients. Among research interests are robotic tech, AI, and telemedicine.

Anastasiya Spaska

Anastasiya Spaska has a PhD degree. She is an Associate Professor of the College of Medicine at Ajman University, Ajman, UAE. Among research interests are anatomy and physiology, histology and embryology, medical biology etc.

Dimitar Monov

Dimitar Monov is a Medical doctor of the Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care at Medical University Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria. Among research interests are anatomy, migraines and tension-type headaches, surgery etc.

Mikhail Kasatkin

Mikhail Kasatkin is an Assistant of the Department of Sports Medicine and Medical Rehabilitation at I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russian Federation. Among research interests are coronavirus infection (covid-19), clinic, diagnosis, prevention and treatment.

Natalia Stroiteleva

Natalia Stroiteleva is a Senior Lecturer of the Department of Biology and General Genetics at I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russian Federation. Among research interests are psychology, medical and pharmaceutical education etc.