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Platelet Monoamine Oxidase Activity in Female Migraine Patients
Author(s) -
Mosnaim Aron D.,
Huprikar Shankar,
Wolf Marion E.,
Diamond Seymour
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
headache: the journal of head and face pain
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.14
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1526-4610
pISSN - 0017-8748
DOI - 10.1111/j.1526-4610.1990.hed3008488.x
Subject(s) - migraine , monoamine oxidase , tyramine , platelet , headaches , medicine , anesthesia , population , endocrinology , psychiatry , chemistry , biochemistry , enzyme , environmental health
SUMMARY Platelet monoamine oxidase activity (MAO) in a group (n = 17) of white, female migraineurs during an acute migraine attack was similar to both the values obtained for the same group of patients two to three weeks after the headache episode (pain‐free period) and to the results obtained for a group (n = 18) of sex and race‐matched, age‐comparable, drug‐free healthy volunteers (blind study; substrate p‐tyramine, 38.7 ± 5.7, 41.9 ± 8.8 and 43.0 ± 3.4 or p‐methoxybenzylamine, 178.9 ± 11.3, 177.2 ± 6.9 and 181.0 ± 9.7 nmole/hr/10 9 platelets ± SD, respectively). With each patient serving as its own control, MAO activity during the migraine episode and when pain‐free failed to show a significant trend. Neither a number of other medical conditions nor the use of several medications appeared to significantly influence our results. The present work, while dealing only with a small but well defined patient population, argues against the possible usefulness of platelet MAO activity as a biological marker for migraine headaches.