A new study, published in Cephalalgia, has revealed that PACAP-38-like immunoreactivity (PACAP-38-LI) is linked to phases of migraine. PACAP-38 is involved in activation of cerebral blood vessels. Tuka et al. assessed PACAP-38-LI in plasma during both ictal and interictal phases in 87 patients with migraine. Compared with healthy controls, patients had significantly lower PACAP-38-LI in the interictal phase. Migraineurs had elevated levels of PACAP peptide during the ictal phase relative to the interictal phase. Furthermore, a negative correlation between levels of interictal PACAP-38-LI and disease duration was identified.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER
Tuka, B. et al. Alterations in PACAP-38-like immunoreactivity in the plasma during ictal and interictal periods in migraine patients. Cephalalgia doi:10.1177/0333120413483931
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Migraine phases linked to plasma levels of PACAP-38. Nat Rev Neurol 9, 298 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneurol.2013.91
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneurol.2013.91