title: Alterations in PACAP-38-like immunoreactivity in the plasma during ictal and interictal periods of migraine patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent studies on migraineurs and our own animal experiments have revealed that pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide-38 (PACAP-38) has an important role in activation of the trigeminovascular system. The aim of this study was to determine the PACAP-38-like immunoreactivity (LI) in the plasma of healthy subjects, and parallel with the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-LI in migraine patients in the ictal and interictal periods.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 87 migraineurs and 40 healthy control volunteers were enrolled in the examination. Blood samples were collected from the cubital veins in both periods in 21 patients, and in either the ictal or the interictal period in the remaining 66 patients, and were analysed by radioimmunoassay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significantly lower PACAP-38-LI was measured in the interictal plasma of the migraineurs as compared with the healthy control group ( P  < 0.011). In contrast, elevated peptide levels were detected in the ictal period relative to the attack-free period in the 21 migraineurs ( P PACAP-38 < 0.001; P CGRP < 0.035) and PACAP-38-LI in the overall population of migraineurs ( P  < 0.009). A negative correlation was observed between the interictal PACAP-38-LI and the disease duration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study that has provided evidence of a clear association between migraine phases (ictal and interictal) and plasma PACAP-38-LI alterations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Hungary.
authors.forename: Bernadett
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tuka
authors.forename: Zsuzsanna
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Helyes
authors.forename: Adrienn
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Markovics
authors.forename: Teréz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bagoly
authors.forename: János
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Szolcsányi
authors.forename: Nikoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Szabó
authors.forename: Eszter
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tóth
authors.forename: Zsigmond Tamás
authors.initials: ZT
authors.lastname: Kincses
authors.forename: László
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vécsei
authors.forename: János
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tajti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000097:blood*; D051219:Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide / Q000097:blood*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay
chemical_list: D051219:Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide
keywords: Migraine; ictal/interictal periods; plasma PACAP-38-LI