According to the authors of a new study published in the journal Annals of Neurology, eight regions (loci) have been identified in the human genome that have a link with cluster headache, also known as “cluster headaches.”
This extremely painful phenomenon is also genetically linked to risk-taking behavior, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression and musculoskeletal pain. Moreover, the study revealed that smoking is a causal risk factor associated with this condition.
This is the largest cluster headache genetic study conducted by the International Consortium for Cluster Headache Genetics/CCG. By analyzing data from 10 European cohorts and one East Asian cohort, the researchers identified a total of eight loci in the human genome that are associated with cluster headache.
Of note, three of these genetic regions are shared with migraine, another common headache condition. In these regions, 20 genes were identified that are involved in arterial and brain tissues relevant to disease pathology.
The results of the study indicate a significant link between the genetics of cluster headache and smoking, emphasizing that this habit is a causal risk factor for the development of the condition. The research also provides clues to the biological basis of this condition and offers insights into the development of more effective treatments for severe headaches.
The researchers conducted the study in collaboration with the Karolinska Institute and built a unique biobank that included biological samples from cluster headache patients and healthy individuals in Sweden. With the help of this biobank, they analyzed more than 500,000 genetic markers from the entire genome and compared their frequency between groups of patients and controls.
These associations were identified using bioinformatic analysis and validated using five complementary methods, including quantitative expression trait loci, transcriptome-wide association, fine mapping, DNA methylation, and effect on protein structure.
In the future, the researchers plan to expand the study and include data from other parts of the world to assess similarities or differences in genetic findings between various geographic regions. They will also continue to investigate in detail the genes located in the chromosomal regions associated with the disease.
Source: 360medical.ro
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2023-09-11 19:57:02
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