IL-17A, IL-17RA, and IL-22 as biomarkers in migraine: associations with disease activity and clinical features.

backgroundMigraine is increasingly recognized as a neuroinflammatory disorder involving immune-mediated mechanisms. Th17-related cytokines, including interleukin-17 A (IL-17 A) and interleukin-22 (IL-22), together with the IL-17 receptor A (IL-17RA), may contribute to these processes; however, their clinical relevance remains incompletely understood. This study aimed to assess their levels in patients with migraine and to investigate their associations with clinical characteristics.

methodsNinety-nine patients with migraine and 50 healthy controls were included. Serum IL-17 A, IL-17RA, and IL-22 levels were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and their relationships with clinical features were analyzed.

resultsSerum levels of IL-17 A, IL-17RA, and IL-22 were significantly higher in patients with migraine compared to healthy controls (p < 0.05 for all). IL-22 levels were positively correlated with attack frequency and inversely correlated with disease duration. A negative correlation was observed between IL-17 A levels and attack severity, whereas IL-17RA levels were positively correlated with attack severity. In multivariate analysis, IL-22 and IL-17RA emerged as independent factors associated with migraine. IL-17RA demonstrated the modest discriminatory performance in ROC analysis (AUC = 0.696, p < 0.001).

conclusionTh17-related cytokines appear to play a role in migraine pathophysiology. IL-17RA, as a receptor involved in IL-17 A signaling, may serve as a potential independent biomarker, while IL-22 may reflect disease activity and early inflammatory responses. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.