title: Procalcitonin levels in migraine patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Migraine is a risk factor for ischemic stroke. Sterile vascular inflammation may develop during migraine attacks. This study aims to investigate procalcitonin (PCT) levels amongst migraine patients as they are important markers for infection and sepsis, but can also be found at elevated levels in various cases of inflammation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty adult migraine patients participated in our study. Patients were initially separated into two main groups; Group-1 consisted of 34 patients who had migraines during the attack period. Group-2 consisted of 46 patients during the period in-between attacks. Afterwards, patients were further divided into four subgroups based on their aura status; Group-1a Migraine without aura, 27 patients during attack period, Group-1b Migraine with aura, 7 patients during attack period, Group-2a Migraine without aura, 40 patients during the period in-between attacks, Group-2b Migraine with aura, 6 patients during the period in-between attacks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Average PCT levels in patients during attack periods were found to be higher than the average PCT levels of patients during the period in-between attacks. These elevated levels were determined to be statistically significant(p<0.01). Serum PCT levels of the patients with migraine without aura during the attack period were significantly higher than those of patients during the period in-between attacks(p<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on significantly high levels of PCT, our results support the idea that sterile inflammation plays a role in migraine pathogenesis. Further studies are necessary to understand whether PCT is a marker for ischemic stroke risk in patients who go through frequent migraine attacks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology Department, Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Selçuklu, Konya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hale
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Turan
authors.forename: Bahriye
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Horasanli
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ugur
authors.forename: Hande
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Arslan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D011498:Protein Precursors; D002116:Calcitonin; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide