title: Plasma urotensin-2 level and Thr21Met but not Ser89Asn polymorphisms of the urotensin-2 gene are associated with migraines.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Urotensin-II (U-II) is a peptide recognized by its potent vasoconstrictor activity in many vascular events, however the role of urotensin-II in migraine has not been considered yet. The molecular mechanisms and genetics of migraine have not been fully clarified yet, but it is well-known that vascular changes considerably contribute in pathophysiology of migraine and also its complications. The aim of this study was to analyze the plasma U-II levels along with genotype distributions and allele frequencies for UTS2 Thr21Met and Ser89Asn polymorphisms among the patients with migraine without aura (MWoA).
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred eighty-six patients with MWoA and 171 healthy individuals were included in this study. Plasma U-II levels were measured in attack free period. The genotype and allele frequencies for the Thr21Met (T21M) and Ser89Asn (S89N) polymorphisms in the UTS2 gene were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma U-II levels were significantly higher in MWoA patients (p = 0.002). We detected a significant association between the T21M polymorphism in the UTS2 gene and migraine (53.8 % in patients, 40.4 % in controls, p = 0.035), but not with S89N polymorphism (p = 0.620). A significant relationship was found between U-II levels and MIDAS score (β = 0.508, p = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study suggests that U-II may play a role in migraine pathogenesis; also Thr21Met polymorphism was associated with the risk of migraine disease. Further studies are needed for considering the role of U-II in migraine pathophysiology and for deciding if UTS2 gene may be a novel candidate gene in migraine cases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Gaziantep, Gaziantep, Turkey. drsirmageyik@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Sırma
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Geyik
authors.affiliation: Ulubey Vocational Higher School, Ordu University, Ordu, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sercan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ergun
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Emine-Bahaeddin Nakiboglu Medical Faculty, Zirve University, Gaziantep, Turkey.
authors.forename: Samiye
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuzudişli
authors.affiliation: Neurology Clinics, Medical Park Hospital, Gaziantep, Turkey.
authors.forename: Figen
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Şensoy
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Gaziantep, Gaziantep, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ebru
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Temiz
authors.affiliation: Division Of Neurology, Turkish Ministry Of Health Siirt State Hospital, Siirt, Turkey.
authors.forename: Erman
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Altunışık
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Gaziantep, Gaziantep, Turkey.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Korkmaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Gaziantep, Gaziantep, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dağlı
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Gaziantep, Gaziantep, Turkey.
authors.forename: Seval
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kul
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Gaziantep, Gaziantep, Turkey.
authors.forename: Aylin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akçalı
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Gaziantep, Gaziantep, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ayşe Münife
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Neyal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D014579:Urotensins / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014579:Urotensins; C029677:urotensin II
keywords: ELISA; Migraine without aura; Ser89Asn; Thr21Met; UTS2 gene polymorphisms; Urotensin-2