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The following is a summary of “Evaluation of zonulin levels in patients with migraine,” published in the February 2025 issue of BMC Neurology by Ülfer et al.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to examine serum zonulin levels in migraine sufferers. The results suggested a link between zonulin regulation and blood-brain barrier permeability in migraine.
They included 40 migraine sufferers and 40 controls, with data on disease duration, attack frequency, VAS scores, and comorbidities. Serum zonulin levels were measured using the ELISA method.
The results showed no significant differences between the groups regarding age or gender (P > 0.05). Patients with migraine had higher zonulin levels than controls (P = 0.037). No correlation was found between zonulin and disease duration, attack duration, VAS score, or attack frequency (P > 0.05). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed a zonulin cut-off value of 30.58, with 52.5% sensitivity, 77.5% specificity, 70% positive predictive value, and 62% negative predictive value. The area under the curve was 63.6%, with a standard error of 6.3%. A significant correlation was found between migraine diagnosis and a zonulin level of 30.58 (P = 0.006; P < 0.01).
Investigators found elevated zonulin levels in patients with migraine, suggesting disruption of the intestinal barrier and neuroinflammation, and concluded that zonulin may serve as a predictive biomarker for migraine.
Source: bmcneurol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12883-025-04058-y
