Measurement of Serum Ceruloplasmin, Lipid Hydroperoxide Level and Prolidase Activity in Children with Primary Headache

Abstract

Introduction

Primary headache is a significant health problem in children as it remarkably negatively affects the child and his/her family. Migraine and tension-type headaches constitute the majority of primary headaches in childhood. Studies regarding adult migraine patients suggest that oxidative stress has a significant role in the pathogenesis. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between primary headache in chidhood and the levels of oxidative stress markers.

Materials and methods

Pediatric patients diagnosed with primary headache and healthy controls in the pediatric age range were recruited. Data regarding age, gender, height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) were recorded. The levels of ceruloplasmin, lipid hydroperoxide, and prolidase activity were measured in plasma using the ELISA method. Statistical analyses were conducted using the SPSS 11.5 statistical program. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant.

Results

The study included 76 patients with primary headache and 61 healthy controls. The mean ages of the patients and healthy controls were 14.4±3.2 and 13.6±2.9 years. The patient and control groups were similar in terms of gender distribution (p=0.948), age (p=0.079), and BMI (p=0.196). Migraine accounted for 35.5% (n=27), while tension-type headache accounted for 64.5% (n=49) of the patients. Serum ceruloplasmin (p=0.033), lipid hydroperoxide (p<0.001), and prolidase (p=0.010) levels were higher in patients compared to the control group. Lipid hydroperoxide (p=0.021) and prolidase (p=0.013) levels were higher in migraine patients than in tension-type headache patients, while ceruloplasmin levels were similar between patients with different headache types (p=0.581).

Conclusion

In this study, oxidative stress markers were shown to be increased in pediatric patients with primary headache. These findings support the hypothesis that patients with primary headaches are exposed to oxidative stress. Future studies may elucidate the role of oxidative stress in the etiopathogenesis of childhood migraine and other headache types.