Association Between Migraine and ACE Gene (Insertion/Deletion) Polymorphism: The Biobim Study

Abstract

Aim: In the present case–control study, we investigated the correlation between the common ACE insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism and migraine. Materials & methods: Genotyping of the ACE I/D variant was performed in 502 Caucasian patients with migraine and 323 age-, sex- and race/ethnicity-matched healthy controls. We investigated associations between ACE genetic variants and sociodemographic and/or clinical features of migraineurs. Results: We found a significant association between ACE insertion/insertion (I/I) polymorphism and lower use of pharmacological prophylaxis in migraine patients with aura and in those with chronic migraine. Moreover, ACE I/I polymorphism was significantly more common in migraine patients with aura who had a negative family history of migraine. Conclusion: Our data suggest that although the ACE I/D polymorphism is not a direct risk factor for migraine, the ACE I/I genotype may influence the clinical feature of this disease being associated with reduced use of prophylactic agents in patients with migraine with aura and in those with chronic migraine.

Original submitted 5 June 2013; Revision submitted 16 September 2013

KEYWORDS::

• ACE I/D polymorphism
• genetics
• migraine
• pharmacological prophylaxis

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank B Leone for his excellent technical assistance.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This study was partially supported by Grant MERIT RBNE08NKH7 – San Raffaele Foundation Ceglie Messapico (www.fondazionesanraffaele.com; F Guadagni) and partially by the grant PO FESR 2007/2013 Linea di Intervento 4.1.1.1 – SIASOP (F Guadagni). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board approval or have followed the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. In addition, for investigations involving human subjects, informed consent has been obtained from the participants involved.

Additional information

Funding

This study was partially supported by Grant MERIT RBNE08NKH7 – San Raffaele Foundation Ceglie Messapico (www.fondazionesanraffaele.com; F Guadagni) and partially by the grant PO FESR 2007/2013 Linea di Intervento 4.1.1.1 – SIASOP (F Guadagni). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.