EAN 2024 | The gut microbiome in restless leg syndrome: searching for novel biomarkers

Angelica Montini, MD, PhD Candidate, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy, provides insights into her work looking at the gut microbiota in restless leg syndrome (RLS). There is strong evidence that RLS has a bidirectional relationship with inflammation. Notably, an association between inflammatory bowel disease and RLS had been evidenced. Dr Montini used a metagenomic approach to test the hypothesis that the gut microbiota is an environmental risk factor in RLS. When comparing patients with RLS and controls, no difference was noted in the overall microbiota composition. However, significant differences were noted at the genus level. In particular, Lachnoclostridium levels were significantly reduced in patients with RLS and were shown to correlate with disease duration. Ongoing work aims to test Lachnoclostridium as a novel diagnostic biomarker in RLS. This interview took place at the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Annual Meeting 2024 in Helsinki, Finland.

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