Migraine in SLE: role of antiphospholipid antibodies and Raynaud’s phenomenon

Abstract

To determine the role of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) and of Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) in the development of migraine in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). 50 unselected SLE patients and 20 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) controls underwent an interview to define the presence of migraine according to the guidelines of the International Headache Society (1988). Serological tests for aPL were performed in all patients. SLE patients were divided according to positivity for RP and/or aPL into 4 subsets: R-/aPL-, R-/aPL+, R+/aPL- and R+/aPL+. Data were analysed using Fisher's exact test, Chi-square test and U Mann-Whitney test. SLE and RA patients were similar for demographic and clinical features; aPL positivity was found in a greater proportion of SLE patients versus RA controls (68% vs 25%, p=0.0036). 31 of the 50 lupic patients (62%) and 7 of the 20 RA controls (35%) suffered from migraine (OR=3, CI:1-8.9). Among SLE and RA patients, migraine was associated with aPL positivity (p=0.027 and p=0.019). Analysing the combined effect of aPL and RP on migraine, in R+/aPL+ patients we detected an higher frequency of migraine (85.7%) with respect to the patients negative for these two features (27%, p=0.0051, OR=16, CI:2.2-118) and to the patients positive only for aPL (65%, p=0.0031, OR=6.2, CI:1.2-32). Migraine in SLE and RA associates with aPL positivity. The simultaneous presence of RP increases by 2,5 times the probability of having migraine, suggesting that cerebral vasospasm might be more common in patients with peripheral vasospasm, given the presence of aPL.