Role of factor XIII Val 34 Leu polymorphism in patients with migraine

At present, it is contradictory to determine if the combination of certain prothrombotic polymorphisms and migraine increases the risk to develop isch aemic cerebrovascular disease. Recently, the common Val34Leu polymorphism o f the A-chain factor XIII gene, associated with variations in factor XIII a ctivity, has been suggested to play a significant role in the development o f arterial and venous thrombotic disorders. We analysed the prevalence of t his polymorphism in 17 patients with coexisting ischaemic cerebrovascular d isease and migraine (5 with aura, and 12 without aura), 89 patients with mi graine (43 with aura, and 46 without aura), 116 patients with ischaemic cer ebrovascular disease, and 467 healthy Caucasian controls from the South of Spain. Genomic PCR amplification, using a mutated oligonucleotide, and alle le-specific restriction assays were used for genotyping. The factor XIII Le u 34 variant was present in 47.1; 40.5; 34.9; and 35.1% of patients with co existing ischaemic cerebrovascular disease and migraine, ischaemic cerebrov ascular disease, migraine, and control subjects, respectively. These data s uggest that the factor XIII Leu 34 allele does not play a protective role a gainst these disorders in our population.