Objective: The present study is designed to further elucidate the molecular genetic basis of migraine with and without aura.
Background: Migraine is a common disease of as yet unknown etiology. Interest in ion channels in migraine has been spurred by molecular genetic findings in familial hemiplegic migraine, since familial hemiplegic migraine type 1 is caused by mutations in the calcium channel gene CACNA1A.
Methods: Given this role of ion channels in migraine, we assessed the potassium channel KCNN3 as a candidate gene for common migraine. We analyzed the highly polymorphic repeat region coding for a poly-glutamine stretch, which constitutes part of the cytoplasmic tail of the channel protein.
Results: We found an excess of the allele coding for 15 poly-glutamines in migraine patients.
Conclusions: The potassium channel KCNN3 may thus be of pathophysiological importance in migraine with and without aura.