Is the unresponsiveness to sumatriptan in cluster headache related to an alteration in the 5-HT receptors?
It is well established that cluster headache shows impaired functions at the neuroimmunomodulatory system level. Defects in the expression of receptors for 5-HT, IL-1 and IL-2 have been found in these patients. Sumatriptan, an agonist activity for 5-HT1D receptor, truncates cluster headache attack in 74% of patients. Flow cytometric analysis of monocytes expressing 5-HT receptor in cluster headache patients showed different trends clearly correlated with the clinical response to sumatriptan. Our findings strongly support the concept that cluster headache patients which are non-responders to sumatriptan could present a block in their 5-HT receptor expression possibly due to specific autoantibodies for this receptor site.
Stirparo
G
G
Institute of Biomedical Technologies, CNR, Rome, Italy.
Fusco
B M
BM
Giacovazzo
M
M
Rinaldi
C
C
Martelletti
P
P
D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic; D003027:Cluster Headache / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D015213:Neuroimmunomodulation; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000276:immunology*; D018170:Sumatriptan / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D015703:Antigens, CD; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; D018170:Sumatriptan