Skeletal muscle morphology in patients with restless legs syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to assess the cellular and structural properties of skeletal muscle in restless legs syndrome (RLS).


METHODS
Twenty patients and 16 controls were included. Aerobic performance was assessed using a submaximal test. On muscle biopsies taken from the tibialis anterior, fiber distribution and fiber area were analyzed together with parameters surveying the microvascularization, especially the tortuosity, which is expressed as a percent of muscle fiber perimeter in contact with the wall of the microvessel, length of capillary/perimeter of fiber (LC/PF) index.


RESULTS
The RLS group had significantly lower predicted maximal oxygen uptake (p = 0.01) and significantly higher LC/PF index (p = 0.01) compared to the controls.


CONCLUSIONS
The higher capillary tortuosity in RLS patients indicates the occurrence of significant remodeling in capillary geometry in RLS.
Larsson
Britta Wåhlin
BW
Department of Health and Social Sciences, Dalarna University, Falun, Sweden. bwl@du.se
Kadi
Fawzi
F
Ulfberg
Jan
J
Aulin
Karin Piehl
KP
D000328:Adult; D002196:Capillaries / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains / Q000378:metabolism; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000473:pathology*
D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains