Circulating levels of cytokines are increased in restless legs syndrome.

Background: Restless legs syndrome [RLS] is known as a disease of iron and dopaminergic dysregulation but inflammatory processes might also have a role in the pathogenesis. In this study, we compared the circulating levels of hsCRP, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in patients with primary restless legs syndrome [RLS] and healthy control subjects.

Methods: We prospectively included 29 patients with primary RLS and 65 healthy controls [HC], all age-sex matched.