Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, 90-237, Lodz, Poland.
Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Institute of Surgery, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
J Headache Pain. 2021 Oct 7;22(1):119. doi: 10.1186/s10194-021-01326-3.
Migraine is a common neurological disease with extremely debilitating, but fully reversible symptoms. Women suffer from migraine more often than men. It was assumed that fluctuation of oestrogen level during menstrual cycle is one of many factors responsible for more frequent migraine attacks. The second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D:4D) is considered as an indicator of prenatal sex steroids. Balance of prenatal androgens (testosterone) and oestrogen has been studied in numerous diseases that are affected by hormones. However, the relationship between migraine and the sex steroids balance in prenatal development is still unexplained. The aim of this paper is to provide an evidence of relationship between prenatal oestrogen and testosterone exposure following 2D:4D digit ratio, and migraine prevalence in adults.
We examined a group of 151 adults (33 males, 118 females) with migraine and a control group of 111 adults (45 males, 66 females). 2D:4D digit ratio of both hands was measured using sliding Vernier calliper.
Significant differences were found in the right hand. Female migraineurs had lower value of 2D:4D ratio than the control group and the right 2D:4D was lower than left 2D:4D (Δ2D:4D), suggesting prenatal testosterone dominance. The opposite relationship was observed in males. Male migraineurs had higher value of 2D:4D ratio and Δ2D:4D was greater than the control group, suggesting prenatal oestrogen dominance.
Our results suggest that depending on sex, different proportion of prenatal sex steroids might be a risk factor of migraine in adults. Women with migraine were presumably exposed in prenatal life to higher testosterone levels relative to oestrogen, while men with migraine were probably exposed in prenatal life to higher levels of oestrogen relative to testosterone.
偏头痛是一种常见的神经系统疾病，其症状极其严重，但完全可逆。女性偏头痛的发病率高于男性。人们认为，月经周期中雌激素水平的波动是导致偏头痛发作更为频繁的众多因素之一。第二至第四指骨长度比（2D:4D）被认为是产前性激素的一个指标。许多受激素影响的疾病都研究过产前雄激素（睾酮）和雌激素的平衡，但偏头痛与产前发育过程中性激素平衡之间的关系仍未得到解释。本文旨在提供证据证明 2D:4D 手指比率与产前雌激素和睾酮暴露之间的关系，以及它们与成年人偏头痛患病率之间的关系。
我们检查了 151 名偏头痛成年人（33 名男性，118 名女性）和 111 名对照组成年人（45 名男性，66 名女性）的 2D:4D 手指比率。使用滑动游标卡尺测量双手的 2D:4D 手指比率。
右手存在显著差异。女性偏头痛患者的右手 2D:4D 比率低于对照组，右手 2D:4D 低于左手 2D:4D（Δ2D:4D），提示产前睾酮优势。男性则观察到相反的关系。男性偏头痛患者的右手 2D:4D 比率较高，Δ2D:4D 大于对照组，提示产前雌激素优势。
我们的结果表明，根据性别不同，产前性激素的比例可能是成年人偏头痛的一个危险因素。患有偏头痛的女性在胎儿期可能暴露于相对较高的睾酮水平，而患有偏头痛的男性在胎儿期可能暴露于相对较高的雌激素水平。
