A Comparative Analysis of Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio, Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index, and Hemoglobin-Albumin-Lymphocyte-Platelet Score in Migraine.

Migraine is seen as a neuroinflammatory disorder with various inflammatory responses. This study examined leukocyte-derived indices like the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII). The hemoglobin-albumin-lymphocyte-platelet (HALP) score is another marker linked to chronic inflammation. However, its role in migraine is still uncertain. In this study, 115 migraine patients were analyzed retrospectively. Among them, 99 had episodic migraine and 16 had chronic migraine. The researchers calculated HALP, NLR, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and SII from lab parameters. They assessed how these correlated with clinical variables. NLR and SII were notably higher in chronic migraine. They also showed moderate ability to differentiate chronic from episodic migraine. However, HALP did not correlate with headache frequency or analgesic use. These results suggest that migraine inflammation may be better reflected by leukocyte-derived indices. Clinical relevance: This research indicates that inflammatory markers like NLR and SII may help differentiate chronic from episodic migraine.