Münife Neyal

Plasma nitrite levels, total antioxidant status, total oxidant status, and oxidative stress index in patients with tension-type headache and fibromyalgia

OBJECTIVES Tension-type headache (TTH) and fibromyalgia syndrome (FM) are worldwide seen chronic pain syndromes of unknown etiology. Despite the growing body of data on pathophysiology and generation mechanisms of pain; our knowledge on pain mechanisms in both FM and TTH is yet to be limited. PATIENTS AND METHODS We investigated the plasma nitrite levels, total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) in 35 TTH, 33 FM patients and 31 healthy controls. RESULTS The mean plasma nitrite levels and TAS levels were significantly low and OSI was found to be significantly high in TTH and FM groups compared to the control group (p=0.001, p=0.001, p=0.001 and p=0.001, respectively). The mean serum TOS levels were also significantly higher in FM group according to the control group (p=0.034), but there was not a significant difference between TTH and control groups (p=0.066). CONCLUSION These results indicated that; FM and TTH patients revealed higher oxidative stress index and lower total nitrite levels than healthy controls. We conclude that oxidative stress may have a role in the pathophysiological mechanisms of TTH and FM, although, whether it is the cause or the consequence, is not clear.

Is increased red cell distribution width (RDW) indicating the inflammation in Alzheimer's disease (AD)?

Increasing evidence indicates that inflammation has a substantial role in the pathogenesis and progression of AD. RDW, a measure of heterogeneity in the size of circulating erythrocytes, is associated with inflammatory markers in many numerous diseases. Present study was undertaken to assess the interrelationships between RDW and AD. A total of 197 patients with AD (male/female: 96/101, mean age 76.2 ± 6.9) and 133 patients as controls with normal cognitive function (male/female: 72/61, mean age 71.68 ± 5.3) were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. RDW values of all participants were measured. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and clock drawing tests were performed for cognitive assessment. DSM-IV and NINCDS-ADRDA criteria were used for diagnosis of AD. The mean RDW values were significantly higher in AD group (13.93 ± 1.1 vs. 13.24 ± 1.2; p<0.001) and also a negative moderate correlation between RDW and MMSE was identified (r: -0.453; p<0.001). After adjusting for confounders, RDW has the strongest association with AD (odd ratio (OR) 1.51, CI=1.10-2.07). In present study RDW levels were significantly increased in patients with AD. Whereas elevated RDW value is usually considered as a novel biomarker of inflammation, the results of our study may support the role of inflammation in pathophysiology of AD. Furthermore the correlation of RDW with poorer cognition status suggests that it may be used as a marker of AD severity.

A prospective study of Willis–Ekbom disease/restless legs syndrome during and after pregnancy

OBJECTIVES Willis-Ekbom disease/restless legs syndrome (WED/RLS) is the most common sleep-related movement disorder in pregnancy. We designed a prospective longitudinal study to investigate the correlates of WED/RLS during and after pregnancy. DESIGN A total of 138 pregnant women with WED/RLS and a control group of 251 age-matched pregnant women were enrolled prospectively. A questionnaire was administered during a face-to-face interview at first evaluation during pregnancy and three months after delivery. RESULTS Among all women in the first trimester, 15.6% were diagnosed with WED/RLS, whereas 32.8% of those in the second trimester and 38.8% of those in the third trimester were diagnosed with WED/RLS (p = 0.032). In regression analysis, later gestational age [p < 0.001; odds ratio (OR) 1.054] and previous history of WED/RLS (p = 0.001; OR 2.795) were positively correlated with the presence of WED/RLS, while ferritin levels (p = 0.001; OR 0.956) were negatively correlated with the presence of WED/RLS. Ferritin levels were also negatively correlated with the International RLS Study Group severity index (p = 0.041). Forty-eight patients (34.8%) experienced WED/RLS symptomatology after delivery. The ferritin levels were lower, and the mean number of pregnancies was higher, in women with residual WED/RLS (p = 0.008). CONCLUSION Our survey showed that WED/RLS was more common in the second and third trimesters. Emergence of WED/RLS during the second trimester was strongly associated with residual WED/RLS. Lower ferritin levels were associated with both WED/RLS in pregnancy and residual WED/RLS after delivery. A higher number of pregnancies were also associated with a greater likelihood of having residual WED/RLS after delivery.

Lack of Association Between the C276T Polymorphism of the Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase Gene and Migraine

ABSTRACT A migraine attack is a spectacularly complex brain event that can produce a wide array of neurological and systemic symptoms. The molecular mechanisms and genetics of migraine have not yet been clarified. The objective of this study was to analyze the genotype distributions and allele frequencies for the C276T polymorphism of the neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) gene among the patients with migraine. The diagnosis of migraine was made clinically based on questionnaires. One hundred and twenty patients with migraine were genotyped for the C276T polymorphism of the nNOS gene and compared with 185 age-matched healthy controls. Genomic DNA from migraine patients and controls was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A PCR–restriction fragment-length polymorphism analysis of nNOS gene polymorphism was performed, and the results were compared. Neither genotype distributions nor the allele frequencies for the C276T polymorphism showed a significant difference between the groups. Additionally, there was no marked differences in genotype distribution or allele frequencies for the migraine without aura and migraine with aura subgroups when compared to control group. These results suggested that migraine of the Turkish population seemed to develop without any alterations in nNOS C276T polymorphism. Our data showed that there is no marked association between the C276T polymorphism of the nNOS gene and migraine.

Elevated plasma total nitrite levels may be related to migraine attacks

Both vascular and neuronal mechanisms are the main foci of investigation in defining the pathophysiology of migraine attacks. This study was designed to evaluate the possible role of nitric oxide (NO) in migraine patients in the natural course of unprovoked attacks and attack-free periods. The mean plasma nitrite levels of 26 migraine patients during attacks and attack-free periods were compared within group and with those of 26 healthy controls. Plasma total nitrite levels were measured by Greiss reaction. Mean plasma total nitrite levels of migraine patients during attacks and attack-free periods and of controls were 36.5±7.5 μmol/l, 27.81±4.8 μmol/l and 25.19±4.1 μmol/l, respectively. These results demonstrated that total nitrite levels during attacks were significantly higher in migraineurs than both during attack-free periods and those of controls (P=0.001 and P=0.001, respectively). No significant difference was observed between migraineurs during attack-free periods and controls in this regard (P=0.534). Based on these results, we suggest that NO pathway may play a key role in the pathogenesis of migraine attacks.

Investigation of the Rho-kinase 2 gene Thr431Asn polymorphism in migraine

BACKGROUND Migraine has a complex etiology determined by genetic and environmental factors, but the molecular mechanisms and genetics of this disease have not yet been fully clarified. AIM This case/control study was designed to analyze the genotype distributions and allele frequencies for the Rho-kinase 2 (ROCK2) gene Thr431Asn polymorphism among the migraine patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 155 migraine patients and 155 healthy age and sex matched controls were included in this study. Genomic deoxyribonucleic acid from migraine patients and controls was analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS Neither genotype distributions nor the allele frequencies for the Thr431Asn polymorphism showed a significant difference between the groups. In addition, there were no marked differences in genotype and allele frequencies for the migraine without aura and migraine with aura subgroups when compared with control group. CONCLUSION This is the first study to show that the ROCK2 gene Thr431Asn polymorphism is not a risk factor for the migraine in the Turkish population.