Polymorphisms of the SCN1A gene in children and adolescents with primary headache and idiopathic or cryptogenic epilepsy: is there a linkage?

J Headache Pain. 2011 Aug;12(4):435-41. doi: 10.1007/s10194-011-0359-8. Epub 2011 Jun 29.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the distribution of the polymorphisms of the SCN1A gene in a series of children and adolescents with primary headache and idiopathic or cryptogenic epilepsy compared to controls. Five non-synonymous exonic polymorphisms (1748A > T, 2656T > C, 3199A > G, 5771G > A, 5864T > C) of the SCN1A gene were selected and their genotyping was performed, by high resolution melting (HRM), in 49 cases and 100 controls. We found that among the five polymorphisms, only 3199A > G was a true polymorphism. We did not find a statistically significant difference between distribution of 3199A > G genotypes between cases and controls. We excluded the role of the SCN1A gene in the pathogenesis of comorbidity between headache (especially migraine) and epilepsy. The SCN1A gene is a major gene in different epilepsies and epilepsy syndromes; the HRM could be the new methodology, more rapid and efficacious, for molecular analysis of the SCN1A gene.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Child
  • Comorbidity
  • Epilepsy / complications
  • Epilepsy / epidemiology*
  • Epilepsy / genetics*
  • Female
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease / genetics*
  • Genotype
  • Headache Disorders, Primary / complications
  • Headache Disorders, Primary / epidemiology*
  • Headache Disorders, Primary / genetics*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • NAV1.1 Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics*
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA / methods
  • Sodium Channels / genetics*

Substances

  • NAV1.1 Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • SCN1A protein, human
  • Sodium Channels