Comparison of level of plasma total oxidant, antioxidant and nitric oxide between tension type headache, fibromyalgia syndrome and control group

Tension-type headache (TTH) and fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) are chronic pain syndromes. Both disease?s have similar features with respect to clinical, and pathophysiologic features. The aim of this study is to assess if nitric oxide (NO), total free radical have a role in the pathophisiology of tension-type headache and fibromyalgia patients.Blood samples were taken from enrolled subjects appropriately and total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) were studied in Harran University Biochemistry Lab and nitric oxide (NO) was studied in Kocaeli University Biochemistry Lab.Plasma total antioxidant status (TAS) of FMS and TTH groups was significantly lower than that of healthy controls (p<0.01). The oxidative stress index (OSI) level was significantly higher in patients with FMS and TTH than in healthy controls. Plasma nitric oxide (NO) was significantly higher in patients with healthy controls than that of FMS and TTH.This condition indicates that patients with fibromyalgia and tension-type headache exposed to oxidative stress and increased oxidative stress may play a role in the etiopathogenesis of the diseases. There was a negative correlation between plasma nitric oxide levels and tension type headache-fibromyalgia syndrome.Keywords: Tension type headache, fibromyalgia syndrome, oxidative stress, nitric oxide.