Genetics of restless legs syndrome (RLS): State-of-the-art and future directions.
Several studies demonstrated that 60% of restless legs syndrome (RLS) patients have a positive family history and it has been suggested that RLS is a highly hereditary trait. To date, several loci have been mapped but no gene has been identified yet. Phenocopies and possible nonpenetrants made it difficult to detect a common segregating haplotype within the families. Defining the exact candidate region is hampered by possible intrafamilial, allelic, and nonallelic heterogeneity. One important prerequisite for future successful genetic studies in RLS is the availability of large and thoroughly phenotyped patients and family samples for linkage as well as association studies.
Winkelmann
Juliane
J
Institute of Human Genetics, GSF-National Research Center for Environment and Health, Munich, Germany. julianewinkelmann@t-online.de
Polo
Oli
O
Provini
Federica
F
Nevsimalova
Sonja
S
Kemlink
David
D
Sonka
Karel
K
Högl
Birgit
B
Poewe
Werner
W
Stiasny-Kolster
Karin
K
Oertel
Wolfgang
W
de Weerd
Al
A
Strambi
Luigi Ferini
LF
Zucconi
Marco
M
Pramstaller
Peter P
PP
Arnulf
Isabelle
I
Trenkwalder
Claudia
C
Klein
Christine
C
Hadjigeorgiou
Georgios M
GM
Happe
Svenja
S
Rye
David
D
Montagna
Pasquale
P
D008040:Genetic Linkage; D006801:Humans; D040582:Inheritance Patterns; D010641:Phenotype; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000235:genetics*