title: Increased vulnerability to oxidative stress in pediatric migraine patients.
abstract: Little is known about the role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of pediatric migraine. The objective of the present study was to investigate, during a headache-free period, the activities of erythrocyte antioxidant enzymes in children and adolescents diagnosed with migraine. In all, 47 migraine patients (age range, 8-17 years; mean, 14.1 +/- 2.4 years, 14 with aura) and 35 control subjects were included. Superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase activities were measured in erythrocytes. Although superoxide dismutase activities did not differ between groups, both catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities were significantly lower in migraine patients (P = 0.001 and P = 0.009, respectively). Activities of all three antioxidant enzymes were similar across migraine subgroups; there was no correlation with age and sex. These results confirm vulnerability to oxidative stress in pediatric migraine. Further studies and search for new therapeutic agents with antioxidant properties are needed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Child Neurology, Baskent University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ilknur
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Erol
authors.forename: Füsun
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alehan
authors.forename: Derya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Aldemir
authors.forename: Ersin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ogus
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000378:metabolism*; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase