The Correlation Among Levels of miR-202, miR-362, IL-1β, and IL-18 in the Serum Female Patients with Migraine

Background and Objective: Migraine is associated with peripheral neuroinflammation, with disruptions in the epigenetic mechanisms regulating this inflammation, particularly in females. This study aimed to evaluate serum miR-202 and miR-362 levels and their relationship to IL-1β and IL-18 levels in female migraine sufferers during a migraine attack.

Materials and Methods: A case-control study was conducted with 90 participants: 50 migraine sufferers and 40 healthy individuals as an age-matched control group. Participants with active immune or inflammatory diseases or recent anti-inflammatory drug use were excluded. Serum concentrations of IL-1β and IL-18 were measured using ELISA, and relative expression of miR-202 and miR-362 was measured using qRT-PCR during an acute migraine attack.

Results: The patients showed a significant increase in IL-1β (P=0.0251) and IL-18 (P=0.0070), and a significant upregulation of miR-202 (P=0.0107) and miR-362 (P=0.0347) compared to the control group. IL-1β and IL-18 were moderately positively correlated (r=0.51, P=0.001), and miR-202 and miR-362 were significantly positively correlated (r=0.41, P=0.0427), with no significant cross-reactivity between the two groups (P>0.05).

Conclusion: The results support the existence of a dual inflammatory and epigenetic imbalance in females with migraine, and the combined profile of miR-202, miR-362, IL-1β, and IL-18 represents a promising candidate group of serological biomarkers for the molecular characterization of migraine attacks, with a correlational nature that warrants further investigation.