title: Reduced urinary glutamate levels are associated with the frequency of migraine attacks in females.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recent evidences indicate that glutamatergic homeostasis disorders are implicated in the pathogenesis of migraine. In particular, plasma and cerebrospinal fluid glutamate levels seem to be altered in migraine patients. However, the impacts of glutamate on migraine and especially on aura symptoms, alterations in the frequency of migraine attacks as well as investigations on glutamate on migraine-related metabolic dysfunctions, like hyperinsulinaemia, and an atherogenic lipid profile remain elusive to date. The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of glutamate on migraine and related metabolic dysfunctions.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated the urinary glutamate levels of female migraineurs (n = 48) in the interictal phase and healthy controls (n = 48). Parameters of the insulin- and lipid metabolism, inflammatory parameters and anthropometric parameters were additionally determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Urinary glutamate levels of female migraineurs were significantly decreased with respect to the control group. Logistic regression revealed an odds ratio of 4.04 for migraine. We found a significant correlation with the time-period of patients' last attack and a significant inverse correlation with the annual frequency of migraine attacks. Other parameters of the insulin- and lipid metabolism, anthropometric and inflammatory parameters showed no significant correlation with glutamate levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We show here that female migraineurs exhibit decreased urinary glutamate levels which are associated with a 4.04-fold higher risk for migraine and correlated with patients' frequency of migraine attacks.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Institute of Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria. christine.ragginer@klinikum-graz.at
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ragginer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lechner
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bernecker
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Horejsi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Möller
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wallner-Blazek
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fazekas
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Truschnig-Wilders
authors.forename: H-J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Gruber
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000652:urine*; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000652:urine*; D016017:Odds Ratio
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D018698:Glutamic Acid