MITOCHONDRIAL-DNA IN STROKE AND MIGRAINE WITH AURA

Patients presenting with thrombotic stroke of unexplained etiology and or migraine with aura were screened for mitochondrial (mt) DNA mutati ons associated with cytopathies given that both migraine and stroke-li ke episodes are recognised with certain mt DNA mutations, Mutations us ually associated with either mitochondrial encephalopathy, lactic acid osis and stroke-like episode, myoclonic epilepsy with ragged red fibre s, or those strongly linked to Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LH ON) were not detected in patients or controls. However, increased leve ls of two of the secondary LHON mutations were found, The T-->C mutati on at nucleotide 4216 was more common than expected in patients aged 3 5 years or less, as was the 13708 G-->A mutation in young stroke patie nts, This data lends support to the possibility that an accumulation o f minor mt DNA mutations may contribute to the pathoaetiology of strok e and migraine with aura in some young patients.