title: Cerebrospinal fluid hypocretin-1 levels during the active period of cluster headache.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hypocretins (orexins) are hypothalamic neuropeptides which are involved in a wide range of physiological processes in mammals including central pain processing. Genetic studies in humans evidenced a role for the hypocretinergic system in cluster headache (CH).
  
  
  METHODS
  We tested cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) hypocretin-1 (orexin-A) levels in 10 CH patients during an active cluster period. CSF hypocretin-1 levels were measured by radioimmunoassay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CSF hypocretin-1 levels were within the normal range (mean 457.3±104.98 pg/ml, range 304-639) in our 10 patients, with a slight reduction in one case (304 pg/ml). There were no associations between CSF hypocretin-1 levels and the clinical features of CH. A trend towards higher hypocretin-1 levels was disclosed in patients with chronic CH compared to episodic CH.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CSF hypocretin-1 levels seem not to influence the clinical course of CH, but our results cannot completely exclude a functional involvement of the hypothalamic hypocretinergic system in the pathogenesis of CH.
authors: Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Bologna, Via U. Foscolo 7, Bologna, Italy. sabina.cevoli@unibo.it
authors: Sabina
authors: S
authors: Cevoli
authors: Fabio
authors: F
authors: Pizza
authors: Daniela
authors: D
authors: Grimaldi
authors: Marianna
authors: M
authors: Nicodemo
authors: Valentina
authors: V
authors: Favoni
authors: Giulia
authors: G
authors: Pierangeli
authors: Philipp O
authors: PO
authors: Valko
authors: Christian R
authors: CR
authors: Baumann
authors: Pasquale
authors: P
authors: Montagna
authors: Claudio L
authors: CL
authors: Bassetti
authors: Pietro
authors: P
authors: Cortelli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003027:Cluster Headache / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D000068797:Orexins; D011863:Radioimmunoassay
chemical_list: C000596229:HCRT protein, human; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; D000068797:Orexins