Immature granulocyte and other hematological inflammatory parameters in patients with migraine headache

Background: Today, many hypotheses have been proposed in the pathogenesis of migraine. The inflammatory hypothesis is one of them. The immature granulocyte count (IGC) is also an inflammatory parameter which importance has been understood recently. There are no studies evaluating IGC in migraine. The aim of the study to investigate the levels of IGC and other hematological inflammatory parameters in migraine. Material and Method: Materials and Methods: Forty-eight patients diagnosed with migraine who applied to Kastamonu Training and Research Hospital Neurology outpatient clinic between 07.01.2020 and 10.01.2021 were included in the study. 42 people with similar age and gender distribution were included for the control group. Data on laboratory tests, age and gender of patients were obtained from the hospital Laboratory Information System (LIS). CBC parameters of the patients at the first admission and before any treatment, calculated with an automated hematological analyzer (XN-1000-Hematology-analyzer-Sysmex Corporation, Japan) were analyzed. Using Complete Blood Count (CBC) data, neutrophil count (NEUT#), neutrophil percentage (NEUT%), lymphocyte percentage (LYMPH%), and IGC were recorded. Neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and systemic immune inflammation index (SII) values were calculated with the formula. Results: In our study, NLR and IGC was significantly higher than the healthy control group (p=0.002, p=0.025). PLR was also found to be high, but it was not statistically significant (p=0.063). Conclusion: The significantly higher NLR and IGC levels in migraine patients compared to the healthy controls support the role of inflammation in etiopathogenesis.