Abstract
Several studies suggest a role of oxidative stress in the physiopathology of migraine, particularly in the form with aura. In a case-control study, we investigated the association between migraine and superoxide dismutase 1 (
SOD1
) and superoxide dismutase 2 (
SOD2
) genes in a cohort of 490 consecutive unrelated Caucasian migraineurs (migraine with aura [MwA],
n
=107; migraine without aura [MwoA],
n
=246; chronic migraine [CM],
n
=137) and 246 healthy controls recruited at our Headache and Pain Unit and stored in the Interinstitutional Multidisciplinary BioBank (BioBIM). Migraine phenotype was carefully detailed using face-to-face interviews. We examined polymorphisms of
SOD1
gene (A/C substitution—rs2234694) and
SOD2
gene (C/T transition—rs4880—Ala16Val). The rs4880 TT (Val/Val) genotype was associated (
p
=0.042) with the presence of unilateral cranial autonomic symptoms (UAs) in MwA patients. We also found a mild correlation between
SOD2
rs4880 genotype and the type of acute migraine treatment (
p
=0.048) in MwA patients. Our findings suggest that
SOD2
is a disease-modifier gene influencing oxidative mechanisms in MwA. These observations lead to the hypothesis that
SOD2
polymorphism may cause a defective control of the oxidative phenomena linked to cortical spreading depression, the neurophysiological hallmark of migraine aura, causing an overstimulation of trigeminal neurons and UAs triggering.
Antioxid. Redox Signal.
22, 275–279.
