Investigation of the Albumin/Globulin Ratio as a Biomarker in Restless Legs Syndrome.

Abstract

Background Measurement of serum/plasma levels of inflammatory factors in restless legs syndrome (RLS) has been the subject of a few studies, as various inflammatory diseases may demonstrate an association with RLS. The albumin/globulin ratio (AGR) is a parameter that considers two proteins that are indicators of inflammation and has been shown to increase in some inflammatory diseases. No study has evaluated the relationship between RLS and AGR yet. In our study, we examined the usability of AGR as a diagnostic biomarker in RLS patients. Methodology A total of 88 patients and 89 control individuals were included in the study retrospectively. The two groups were compared in terms of AGR levels. RLS patients were divided into four groups according to the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group Rating Scale score and the relationship between disease severity and AGR values ​​was examined. Results Albumin levels of the study group were higher than the control group. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups regarding globulin and AGR levels. Conclusions Serum albumin levels could be useful in RLS compared to globulin or AGR values. This needs to be supported by new studies with larger patient series, multicenter design, and including multiple parameters such as patients' muscle mass, nutritional habits, and exercise status.