title: Analysis of endothelial precursor cells in chronic migraine: a case-control study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Migraine has been considered a vascular risk factor especially in young women. Factors predisposing to endothelial damage in migraine are still being debated. The insufficiency of circulating endothelial precursor circulating cells (EPCs) suggested a link between migraine and cardiovascular risk. This research aimed to study a subtype of EPCs, those expressing e-selectin, to assess endothelial activation and, therefore, endothelial dysfunction in migraine.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive headache patients (n = 99) and 35 adjusted controls were recruited. Total EPCs, defined as CD34+/KDR+ cells, and EPC colony-forming units (CFUs) were assayed. We identified as "early" EPCs those CD62E- EPCs, and "late" EPCs, CD62E+, a surrogate marker for endothelial damage. Plasmatic calcitonin-gene related protein (CGRP) and vascular-endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We did not find differences in the total number of CFUs among clinical groups. Means of total CD34+/KDR+ and "early" EPCs were not significant among clinical groups. Nevertheless, the mean of "late" EPCs was lower (log(10)-transformed mean = 1.715; SD = 0.393) in the control group than in the migraine patients (log(10)-transformed mean = 2.167; SD = 0.685), even after adjustment by VEGF plasma level and other confounding factors. Linear regression analyses disclosed significant predictors for "late" EPCs for controls vs migraine (β = 0.452 SE ± 0.13; p = 0.001). We did not observe differences between migraine with or without aura.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We observed higher number of activated EPCs in migraine patients than in controls. CD62E+ EPCs might be considered a marker for vascular damage in migraine patients.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla, Spain.
authors.forename: Agustin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oterino
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toriello
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Palacio
authors.forename: Vicente G
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Quintanilla
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Lavilla
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Montes
authors.forename: Maria S de la
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Vega
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martinez-Nieto
authors.forename: Jesus
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pascual
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000473:pathology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*