Composite microRNA-genetic risk score model links to migraine and implicates its pathogenesis

The neurobiological mechanisms driving the ictal-interictal fluctuations and the chronification of migraine remain elusive. We aimed to construct a composite genetic-microRNA model that could reflect the dynamic perturbations of the disease course and inform the pathogenesis of migraine. We prospectively recruited four groups of participants, including interictal episodic migraine (i.e., headache-free for > 72 hrs apart from prior and subsequent attacks), ictal episodic migraine (i.e., during moderate to severe migraine attacks), chronic migraine, and controls in the discovery cohort. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was used for microRNA profiling. The candidate microRNAs were validated with quantitative PCR (qPCR) in an independent validation cohort. Biological pathways associated with the microRNA regulome and interaction networks were explored. In addition, all participants received genotyping with the Axiom Genome-Wide Array TWB chip. A composite model was established, combining disease-associated microRNAs and genetic risk scores (GRS) indicative of genetic susceptibility, with the objective of differentiating migraine from controls using a binary outcome. From a total of 120 participants in the discovery cohort and 197 participants in the validation cohort, we identified disease-state microRNA signatures (including miR-183, miR-25, and miR-320) that were ubiquitously higher or lower in patients with migraine compared to controls. We have also validated four disease-activity miRNA signatures (miR-1307-5p, miR-6810-5p, let-7e, and miR-140-3p) that were differentially expressed only during the ictal stage of episodic migraine. Functional analysis suggested that prolactin and estrogen signaling pathways might play important roles in the pathogenesis. Moreover, the composite microRNA-GRS model differentiated patients from controls, achieving a positive predictive value of over 90%. To conclude, we developed a composite microRNA-genetic risk score model, which may serve as a predictive tool for identifying high-risk individuals. Our findings may help illuminate potential pathogenic mechanisms underlying the dysfunctional allostasis of migraine and pave the way for future precision medicine.