IS NEUTROPHILS / LYMPHOCYTES RATIO AFFECTED DURING 'MIGRAINE ATTACKS WITH AURA' IN MIGRAINE PATIENTS?

Abstract

Purpose: The formation and pathophysiology of migraine attacks with aura are still ambiguous. Sterileinflammation is claimed to play a role in the pathogenesis of migraine. Neutrophil / lymphocyte ratio (NLR)is an inexpensive and practical indicator that can be well detectable from a complete blood count (CBC).This study, it was aimed to compare NLR in migraine patients, during attacks with aura, and without attack.Methods: A total of 98 patients diagnosed with migraine headache with aura and 34 healthy individualswithout migraine were analyzed. All subjects were evaluated in terms of age, gender, CBC. NLR resultswere compared with migraine attacks with aura, periods without attacks, and 34 healthy controls.Results: The 98 patients, migraine with aura, had higher NLR values during attacks than migraine-freeepisodes and controls (p = 0.000, p = 0.000, respectively).Conclusions: NRL is a marker of inflammation, and we determined that NLR increases in migraine attacksespecially as in other acute inflammatory situations. Pain can be prevented by taking, non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and triptans which inhibit neurogenic inflammation and neuroinflammation inthe cascade, early at the onset of attacks.