Possible association between dysfunction of vitamin D binding protein (GC Globulin) and migraine attacks

PLoS One. 2014 Aug 22;9(8):e105319. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0105319. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

To identify the genetic causality of migraine and acute, severe melalgia, we performed a linkage analysis and exome sequencing in a family with four affected individuals. We identified a variant (R21L) in exon 2 of the GC globulin gene, which is involved in the transportation of vitamin D metabolites and acts as a chemotaxic factor; this variant was co-segregated within the family. To investigate the relationship between GC globulin and melalgia, we investigated the cytokine levels in serum samples from the patients and control subjects using a cytokine antibody array. GC globulin can bind to both MCP-1 and RANTES in human serum but has a higher affinity to MCP-1. In cell culture systems, MCP-1 was able to bind to overexpressed wild-type GC globulin but not to the GC globulin variant, and the GC globulin binding affinity to MCP-1 was significantly lower in sera from the patients than in sera from control subjects. A higher concentration of MCP-1 was also observed in sera from the patients. Thus, the dysfunctional GC globulin affected cytokine release, especially the release of MCP-1, and MCP-1 might play important roles in melalgia and migraine.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Calcifediol / blood
  • Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / blood
  • Chemokine CCL2 / metabolism
  • Chemokine CCL5 / metabolism
  • Exome
  • Female
  • Gene Order
  • Genetic Association Studies*
  • Genetic Linkage
  • High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
  • Humans
  • Lod Score
  • Male
  • Migraine Disorders / genetics*
  • Migraine Disorders / metabolism*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutation
  • Pedigree
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
  • Protein Binding
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Vitamin D-Binding Protein / chemistry
  • Vitamin D-Binding Protein / genetics*
  • Vitamin D-Binding Protein / metabolism*

Substances

  • Chemokine CCL2
  • Chemokine CCL5
  • Vitamin D-Binding Protein
  • Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide
  • Calcifediol

Grants and funding

Funding provided by 2010∼2012 Tokai University School of Medicine, Project Research. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.