Assessing the relative incidence of mitochondrial DNA A3243G in migraine without aura with maternal inheritance

Objective.-To determine whether patients with migraine without aura with ma ternal "inheritance" are affected by a monosymptomatic form of the MELAS sy ndrome (mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and strokelike ep isodes) or carry the most common mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutation associa ted with MELAS, namely the A3243G transition in the transfer RNA (tRNA)(Leu (UUR)), gene. Background.-The association between migraine and abnormal mitochondrial fun ction has been suggested on clinical, biochemical, and neuroradiological gr ounds. Migraine attacks with vomiting and cerebral infarctions, most often in the posterior cerebral regions, which are reminiscent of complicated mig raine, are typical features of MELAS. The observation that migrainous patie nts have affected mothers more often than affected fathers suggests a possi ble role for maternally transmitted genetic factors. Methods.-We studied 25 patients with migraine with aura whose mothers were also affected. A sensitive polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment l ength polymorphism analysis was used to detect mutated genomes. Conclusions.-We failed to detect the MELAS mutation, but migraine may still be associated with point mutations of mtDNA other than A3243G or with as-y et-unidentified nuclear DNA factors related to mitochondrial function.