A Polymorphism in the Interleukin-1α Gene Influences the Clinical Features of Migraine

Objective.—To evaluate whether a particular genotype of the interleukin‐1α (IL1A) gene affects the clinical features of migraine. Background.—Proinflammatory mediators have been reported to play a role in the pathophysiology of migraine. Recent studies suggest that polymorphisms in the interleukin‐1 genes influence the age at onset and subsequent course of several chronic inflammatory diseases. Methods.—In a group of 269 patients with migraine, we tested the association of the −889 C/T biallelic polymorphism of the IL1A gene with several clinical features of the disease. Results.—Patients with migraine carrying the T/T genotype show an age at onset of the disease that is significantly (P