FLOW CYTOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF LYMPHOCYTE SUBSETS IN MIGRAINE PATIENTS DURING AND OUTSIDE OF AN ACUTE HEADACHE ATTACK

We have conducted flow cytometric studies of two subsets of lymphocyte markers in groups of migraineurs during (n = 12; group B) and outside (n = 10; group C) of a migraine without aura attack (total n = 22; gr oup A), including a group of patients tested in both of these phases ( n=5; group D), and compared these results with those obtained from a p opulation of age-comparable, sex- and race-matched healthy volunteers (n=12; group E). Comparison of the first set of lymphocytes (CD3(+)CD1 6+56(+), CD3(-)CD16+56(+), CD3(-)CD19(+), CD3(+)CD19(+), and CD3(+)HLA -DR+) between the patients in group A and the controls (group E) showe d differences, reflecting greater group A percentages of CD3(+)CD16+CD 56(+) and CD3(-)CD19(+) lymphocytes. Furthermore, these differences re ached statistical significance only for the CD3(+)CD16+CD56(+) lymphoc ytes, and then solely for the patients in group C (Scheffe's test, p<0 .05). Paired analysis of the above lymphocyte markers for subjects in group D failed to show significant differences between patients when t hey were having and not having a migraine attack, raising the possibil ity that results from a larger study could show meaningful increases i n percentages of CD3(+)CD16+CD56(+) lymphocytes as one of the immune p arameters useful for differentiating migraineurs from controls. Compar ison of a second set of lymphocyte markers (CD19(+)CD5(+), CD20(+)CD72 (-), CD20(-)CD72(+), CD20(+)CD72(+)) among either the different groups of patients or between the patients and controls failed, however, to show statistically significant differences, emphasizing the apparent s pecificity of the findings described above for CD3(+)CD16+CD56(+) lymp hocytes. Our results, albeit of a preliminary nature, suggest the occu rrence of significant, differential changes in lymphocyte subset immun ophenotyping between groups of pain-free migraineurs and patients duri ng an acute migraine episode or controls. Corroboration of these findi ngs may prove useful in clinical laboratory practice to identify chang es in immunological parameters specifically associated with migraineur s, and help towards a better understanding of the etiology and pathoph ysiology of this condition.