Elevated Oxidative Stress in Patients with Coexisting Multiple Sclerosis and Migraine: A Cross-Sectional Study

One potential association that is gaining increasing attention is the link between multiple sclerosis (MS) and migraine, which are suggested to frequently coexist in young patients. This is the first study to analyze the levels of multiple markers of oxidative stress in sociodemographically similar groups of patients with migraine, MS, and both MS and migraine. A single cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Neurology, Rzeszów University. The study included 110 participants, comprising 26 healthy controls, 24 subjects with migraines, 30 with MS, and 30 with both MS and migraine. Oxidative stress markers were measured in patients' serum. Patients with MS and migraines had statistically elevated levels of 3-nitrotyrosine, Amadori products, 4-hydroxy-nonenal, and oxidative damage to amino acids. Moreover, we observed reduced levels of thiol groups and total antioxidant capacity in the serum of patients with MS and migraines compared to healthy controls. The co-occurrence of migraines in MS leads to greater oxidative stress than MS alone. The impact of chronic oxidative stress on both MS and migraines may exacerbate symptoms and deteriorate the quality of life.