Functional serotonin 5–HTTLPR polymorphism is a risk factor for migraine with aura

In the present work, we report that the functional serotonin transporter gene promoter (5–HTTLPR) polymorphism is involved in migraine pathogenesis. The distribution of 5–HTTLPR genotypes was significantly different in MA patients (S/S vs. S/L vs. L/L=32.7 vs. 42.3 vs. 25.0%), MO patients (18.5 vs. 39.1 vs. 42.4%) and CON (18.0 vs. 51.3 vs. 30.7%; chi–square test, p<0.05). In 5–HTTLPR S/S carriers, the odds ratio for MA risk was 2.60 (95% confidence interval [95%CI]=1.75–3.85) compared to CON, and it was 2.14 (95%CI=1.42–3.21) compared to MO. These data provide a further insight on the complex genotypephenotype relationship involved in MA pathogenesis, and might eventually result in new and individualised prognostic and therapeutic measures.