Background and purpose: Previous studies concerning the role of hormone receptor genetic variants in migraine have provided conflicting results. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of common polymorphisms in the estrogen receptor gene (ESR1) and the progesterone receptor gene (PGR) in the risk for migraine in a Spanish population.
Methods: In a case-control study, including 210 Caucasoid migraine patients and 210 controls, we examined association between three single nucleotide polymorphisms in the coding region of ESR1, rs2077642, rs1801132, and rs2228480, and an Alu insertion in PGR, and migraine, migraine without aura or migraine with aura. Genotypic, allelic and reconstructed haplotype distributions were compared.
Results: We found no significant differences between cases and controls in the distribution of genotypes or alleles for either polymorphism. No haplotype was over-represented in patients.
Conclusions: Our study does not support a major contribution of ESR1 and PGR to the pathogenesis of migraine.