Examining the correlation between salivary cytokine concentrations and CRP in people experiencing social-cognitive stress

Objectives: The study aims to determine the relationship of migraine and chronic tension-type headache (TTHs) with alterations in the salivary markers of inflammation .

Methods: The prospective study involved 75 patients . The concentrations of inflammatory markers (CRP, IL-1 β, and IL-6) in migraine and chronic TTH patients were determined in distinct time points: headache-free period (interictal period), during headache (ictal period), day after headache attack. The STAI-Y (State Trait Anxiety Inventory - Y) and BDI (Beck Depression Inventory) questionnaires were used to measure the level of anxiety and depression in the interictal and ictal periods.

Results: The interictal levels of CRP, IL1-β, and IL-6 were significantly higher in headache groups compared to healthy controls (p < 0.001). Differences in the ictal concentrations were even stronger. Twenty-four hours after headache attack, patients with migraine and chronic TTH experienced a decrease in CRP, IL1-β, and IL-6 levels; yet, those levels were still higher compared with the interictal ones. The repeated analysis of variance revealed no significant statistical differences in CRP, IL-β, and IL-6 levels between the migraine and TTH groups over time (p > 0.05). Statistically higher levels of anxiety and depression were seen in unhealthy groups (p < 0.01).

Conclusions: The relationship of CRP, IL1-β, and IL-6 concentrations with migraine and chronic TTH has been established. No statistically significant differences were found in the dynamics between migraine and chronic TTH groups. There was a direct correlation of migraine and chronic TTH with anxiety and depression.