Correlation between severity of migraine attacks and IgE level in peripheral blood

Abstract

Abstract: The correlation between allergic diseases and migraine is partially due to a better understanding of inflammatory mediators with vasoactive function that play an important role in these diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between allergic sensitization and severity of migraine.: This study was carried out on 212 patients who suffered from migraine headache in a university hospital in Mashhad, Iran. All of these patients were evaluated for allergic rhinitis (AR) by measuring the IgE level in peripheral blood and assessing the clinical symptoms of AR. Prevalence of AR in migraine patients and degree of allergic sensitization was assessed in this study.: The prevalence of AR in migraine patients was 78.30%. Total IgE levels in the peripheral blood in migraine patients with AR were found to be significantly (p<0.0001) higher than those without migraines. There was a significant difference between severity of AR (higher level of IgE) and severity of migraine attacks (p<0.0001), but there was not any significant difference between severity of AR and other factors.: We propose that inflammatory mediators play a key role in triggering migraine attacks. Thus, effective treatment of AR in migraine patients plays an important role in treatment and prevention of migraine headaches.