Cephalalgia Reports · Published 2026-04-01 · DOI 10.1177/25158163261444000
Aim Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) plays a key role in migraine and is also known for its immunomodulatory properties. When released from neurons, CGRP can induce T-cell exhaustion markers, such as T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin-domain containing-3 (TIM3) and programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) on CD8 + T cells. It remains unclear whether this mechanism occurs in migraine and correlates with disease activity. This study aims to determine whether T-cell exhaustion markers could serve as migraine biomarkers. Methods Blood samples were collected from 63 migraine patients at the West German Headache Center and analysed using flow cytometry. The number of monthly headache days (MHD) was assessed retrospectively and correlated with the proportion of CD8 + T cells expressing TIM3 and PD-1. The data was adjusted for confounding factors, including age and sex. Results CD8 + TIM3 + T cells correlated significantly with MHD ( r = 0.313, 95% CI: 0.07–0.52, p = 0.012), while CD8 + PD-1 + T cells showed a non-significant negative trend after Bonferroni correction ( r = −0.254, 95% CI: −0.47 to −0.01, p = 0.044). Conclusion The potential association between T-cell exhaustion markers, such as TIM3, and migraine activity warrants further investigation. Although the clinical value of these biomarkers remains uncertain, future studies should consider including cellular immune components in their analyses.
Abstract from DOAJ. Public domain (CC0 1.0).
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