Single nucleotide polymorphisms of the serotonin transporter gene in migraine--an association study.

We report a case-control study with 251 unrelated migraine patients and 192 unrelated healthy controls to evaluate an association between the polymorphisms of the 5-HT transporter (5-HTT) gene rs2066713 and rs1979572 and different migraine phenotypes. We found a genetic association for the A allele of rs1979572 for migraine with aura (MA) especially in women as well as a significant lower prevalence for MA for carrier of the A allele of rs2066713 in women. These findings support previous results suggesting that the 5-HTT gene is involved in the polygenic etiology of MA. These data further suggest that women are more likely to be clinically affected by mutations in the 5-HTT gene than men.