DAO Test for migraine detection

What is migraine?

Migraine is a chronic and recurrent pathology that affects 15% of the population, being more prevalent in women. It detracts from people’s quality of life and can be very disabling.

Migraine attacks can last for hours or days and can come with auras or warning symptoms such as visual disturbances or tingling in the face or limbs.

Several scientific studies place diet and especially the ability to metabolise histamine intake as one of the main risk factors for migraine.

Histamine is a biogenic amine, present in a large number of foods. We speak of histamine intolerance when there is an imbalance between the accumulated histamine and its degradation capacity.

Diamine oxidase (DAO) is the most important enzyme in the metabolisation of histamine, which is why a decrease in its activity translates into an increased risk of suffering the adverse effects of histamine intolerance, particularly migraine.

The ingestion of foods rich in histamine (citrus fruits, chocolate, spinach, raspberries, nuts, papaya, pineapple, walnuts, tomatoes, etc.), alcohol or drugs that release histamine or block DAO can cause migraine, asthma, hypotension, arrhythmia or urticaria.

Process

Collection of 1 mL of frozen serum blood.

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Receipt of the sample in our laboratory.

Results in 12 working days.

Important
Advance preparation

  • Take blood 24-72 hours after a migraine attack.
  • Fast for 8 hours.
  • Discontinue antihistamine treatment 15 days before, under medical supervision.

Not indicated:

  • This test cannot be performed during pregnancy.

Symptoms
The most common symptoms of migraine are:

  • Sharp, deep, throbbing pain in the head. Only affects half of the head, in some cases the front or the entire cranial area.
  • Gradual pain, starting mildly and increasing as the hours go by.
  • Light, noise and movement often make the pain worse.
  • The pain itself can last from hours to 2 or 3 days.

The main causes of decreased DAO activity are:

A decrease in DAO activity increases the risk of suffering the adverse effects of histamine intolerance, including migraine.

Genetics

Individuals carrying the rs10156191, rs1049742 or rs1049793 polymorphisms in the AOC1 gene have lower DAO activity than non-carriers.

Inflammatory bowel diseases

Such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease and irritable bowel syndrome.

Pharmacological

There is a wide spectrum of drugs with the capacity to release histamine or inhibit DAO activity: Acetylcysteine, Acetylsalicylic acid, Clavulanic acid, Alprenolol, Amiloride, Amitriptyline, Cefuroxime, Cimetidine, Chloroquine, Dolbutamine, Meroclopramide, Pancuronium Propafenone…).

Frequently asked questions

No. As a genetically conditioned constitutional disorder, there is no curative treatment. A migraine sufferer is a lifelong migraine sufferer.

Yes, it is estimated that 15 out of every 100 women suffer from this problem. Thus, in Spain, more than 3 million people suffer from migraine. In the rest of the world, the frequency of migraine is similar. The vast majority of them, however, do not consult a doctor until they experience pain almost every day, and in the meantime they self-medicate. Painkillers are the most widely sold medicines in the world and in many places they can be bought without a prescription.

If the patient meets the diagnostic criteria for migraine and the neurological examination is normal, it is not necessary to perform complementary studies. When any abnormal sign is found in the neurological examination, a scan (cranial CT scan) should be performed to exclude a brain lesion that could simulate a migraine.

Complications of migraine are rare. In some cases of migraine with prolonged aura, cerebral infarction may occur, although this complication is rare.