PLASMA MET-ENKEPHALIN LEVELS - ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH AGE AND TYPE OF HEADACHE

The aim of the present study was to assess the peripheral proenkephali n-A system in order to determine if it is related in any way to age an d/or the type of headache. Our results show no significant change in p lasma met-enkephalin (ME) and neutrophil met-enkephalin-containing pep tide (NMECP) with aging in controls. Plasma ME levels and NMECP in pat ients suffering from migraine without aura and tension-type headaches were found to be similar in both groups, younger and older than 60 yea rs old. When ME plasma levels were compared among the three groups of subjects in the two age-groups, only chronic tension-type headache pat ients differed (P < 0.01) from both controls and migraine without aura subjects.