Abnormalities in CSF concentrations of ferritin and transferrin in restless legs syndrome

CSF and serum were obtained from 16 patients with idiopathic restless legs syndrome (RLS) and 8 age-matched healthy control subjects. Patients with RL S had lower CSF ferritin levels (1.11 +/- 0.25 ng/mL versus 3.50 +/- 0.55 n g/mL; p = 0.0002) and higher CSF transferrin levels (26.4 +/- 5.1 mg/L vers us 6.71 +/- 1.6 mg/L; p = 0.018) compared with control subjects. There was no difference in serum ferritin and transferrin levels between groups. The presence of reduced ferritin and elevated transferrin levels in CSF is indi cative of low brain iron in patients with idiopathic RLS.