Boğaziçi Tıp Dergisi (Mar 2022)

Clinical Usefulness of Systemic Inflammatory Markers as Diagnostic and Prognostic Indicators for Restless Leg Syndrome

  • Buse Çağla Arı,
  • Esma Kobak Tur

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14744/bmj.2022.96967
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 1
pp. 16 – 22

Abstract

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INTRODUCTION: Iron depletion and dopamine dysfunction are the best-recognized mechanisms in the pathophysiology of restless leg syndrome (RLS). A novel perspective has risen that inflammation plays a part; however, the evidences remain limited. We investigated the potential roles of systemic inflammatory markers in the disease. METHODS: This cross-sectional study contains 70 patients and 50 healthy controls. We recorded the demographic data from patients' filed archives. RLS was diagnosed by the International Classification of Sleep Disorders Diagnostic Criteria, The severity of disease was evaluated by the International RLS Study Group Rating Scale and patients were divided into four subgroups as 'mild (1–10),' 'moderate (11–20),' 'severe (21–30)' and 'very severe (31–40)' We obtained the blood samples from the medial cubital vein regarding an 8-h of fasting. Red cell distribution width (RDW), platelet-to-lymphocyte (PLR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte (NLR), and C-reactive-protein-to-albumin (CAR) ratios were estimated and compared with controls. RESULTS: We detected no difference in gender and age among the groups. The mean NLR was 3.42+-2.2 in patients and 1.44+-0.64 in controls (p=0.001), PLR was 200.54+-180.67 in patients and 63.39+-13.76 in controls (p=0.001), and RDW was 50.06+-4.27 in patients and 45.43+-4.28 in controls (p=0.001). All of them were are statistically higher in patients. RDW was predictive at 37.4 with a 85.7% sensitivity and 40.0% specificity. NLR was at 2.33 with a 58.57% sensitivity and 96%, PLR was predictive at 95.34 with a 65.71% sensitivity and 98% specificity. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: PLR, NLR, and RDW are statistically higher in patients, which supports the hypothesis that there is a relationship between peripheral inflammation and RLS. Moreover, PLR, NLR, and RDW may be used as biomarkers to predict the disease. Additional investigations are needed to understand the nature of the disease.

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