Cytokines in chronic headache disorders (version 1)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Cytokines and inflammatory biomarkers in chronic headache and facial pain disorders
IRAS ID
307805
Contact name
Manjit Matharu
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
UCLH/UCL Joint Research Office, part of the Research Directorate
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Z6364106/2022/02/132, UCL data protection reference number
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Chronic daily headache (meaning headache which is present every day and not caused by any underlying structural or "medically significant" disease), is a major cause of disability and affects approximately 3% of the population. Patients who have a daily headache respond poorly to most existing headache treatments.
A hypothesis and growing body of evidence suggests that the immune system may be involved in the development of chronic daily headache syndromes, and that this may be reflected by altered levels of inflammatory proteins called cytokines in the circulating bloodstream.
This study plans to measure circulating inflammatory markers in the blood of patients with chronic daily headache syndromes including new daily persistent headache, chronic migraine, and chronic tension-type headache, as well as healthy controls. Blood samples will be taken prospectively from patients who are already under the care of the Headache and facial pain clinic at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery. Cytokine levels will be compared between the groups, and to the normal controls, to find out whether the different disorders are characterised by differential inflammatory signature.
The expected benefits of the study are to better understand the pathophysiology of primary headache disorders. If reliable biomarkers of inflammation can be identified this may provide evidence to trial treatments targeted at blocking neuroinflammation in specific groups of patients.
REC name
London - Queen Square Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/LO/0300
Date of REC Opinion
4 May 2022
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion