Aura and osmophobia are associated with the IL1A -889C > T (rs1800587) variant in migraine.

Background:  Migraine belongs to the group of primary headaches, affecting 14.4% of the global population. The pathophysiological mechanisms of migraine involve the interplay between hypothalamic activation, cortical spreading depression, trigeminal stimulation, and inflammatory components with neurogenic inflammation or neuroinflammation.

Objective:  To assess the frequency of the IL1A -899C > T (rs1800587) genetic variant in patients with migraine and healthy controls, as well as its association with the clinical manifestations of migraine.

Methods:  We conducted a case-control study involving 92 migraine patients and 88 healthy controls matched for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and ethnicity. Demographic, anthropometric, and clinical data were obtained. The IL1A -889C > T (rs1800587) variant was identified using real-time polymerase chain reaction.

Results:  The study comprised predominantly women and Caucasian individuals, with no significant differences in terms of age, sex, ethnicity, or BMI observed between the migraine and control groups. Within the migraine group, 57.6% had episodic migraines, and 45.7% experienced aura. The patients carrying the CT genotype showed stronger associations with the presence of aura (CT: 57.7%; TT: 27.5%; p = 0.027), and those carrying the CT and TT genotypes showed higher osmophobia rates when compared with the CC genotype (p = 0.003). The IL1A -889C > T genetic variant was not associated with migraine susceptibility, be it chronic or episodic, nor to other symptoms associated with migraine.

Conclusion:  The IL1A -889C > T genetic variant was associated with aura and osmophobia in migraine patients.