Immunoglobulin kappa/lambda ratios in migraine and tension-type headache.
The possibility of immunological mechanisms causing headaches has been proposed in the past. To investigate the immunological system activation in patients with chronic headaches, we evaluated the kappa/lambda ratios of immunoglobulins in 40 patients with migraine and 49 patients with tension-type headache. Nineteen healthy volunteers composed the control group. The serum kappa and lambda levels of immunoglobulins were determined by using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques. The kappa/lambda ratios of IgG in the patients with tension-type headache were significantly higher than those in the controls. The kappa/lambda ratios of IgA and IgM in the patients with headaches were higher than those in the controls, but they were not statistically significant. The total concentrations of IgG, IgA and IgM were significantly higher in the patients with migraine. In the patients with tension-type headache, the total concentrations of IgG and IgA were significantly higher than those in the controls. The high levels of kappa/lambda ratios of IgG in the patients with tension-type headache and the increase in the total concentrations of immunoglobulins in the patients with migraine and tension-type headache, observed in this study, suggest that the humoral immunological system activation might exist, and it might be related to the etiology of tension-type headache and migraine.
Shimomura
T
T
Division of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan.
Araga
S
S
Kowa
H
H
Takahashi
K
K
D000328:Adult; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains / Q000032:analysis*; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000276:immunology*
D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains