Rare Gut Bacteria Linked to Restless Legs Syndrome
By LabMedica International staff writers Posted on 18 Jun 2019 |
The Fecal Swab Collection and Preservation System fecal collection kit (Photo courtesy of Norgen Biotek).
One common sleep disorder in which the microbiome may play a role is restless legs syndrome (RLS). While the pathogenesis of RLS is not fully understood, a relative state of brain iron deficiency has been described in patients with RLS and appears to induce changes in several pathways known to be involved in the disease.
RLS is a sensorimotor disorder characterized by a complaint of a strong, nearly irresistible urge to move the limbs that is often accompanied by other uncomfortable sensations. These symptoms begin or worsen during periods of rest or inactivity such as lying down or sitting, are partially or totally relieved by movement such as walking or stretching, and occur exclusively or predominantly in the evening or at night. Small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is a condition in which rare gut-residing bacteria are over-represented in the gut.
Scientists at the Stanford Sleep Center (Redwood City, CA, USA) recruited at the center three groups: RLS and low peripheral iron stores of less than 50ng/mL and/or transferrin saturation of less than 18%, RLS and normal peripheral iron stores, and insomnia (control).
Participants completed questionnaires concerning sleep and SIBO symptoms and were sent home with the Fecal Swab Collection and Preservation System fecal collection kit (Norgen Biotek, Thorold, ON, Canada; https://norgenbiotek.com) and a SIBO Home Breath Test Kit, (Mullumbimby, Australia).
Fecal samples are assayed by the University of Minnesota Genomics Center (Minneapolis, MN, USA) with microbial community profiling evaluated by 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) gene sequencing protocols. SIBO breath samples are evaluated by Aerodiagnostics (Concord, MA, USA) for hydrogen and methane abnormalities.
The investigators reported that seven participants diagnosed with RLS (three men and four women) have thus far completed the protocol. All indicated poor sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI] ≥ 5) and moderate to severe symptoms of RLS (IRLS scores ranging from 13 to 34/40). SIBO was present in all seven participants (100%) whereas general population rates are estimated to be 6% to15%.
Daniel Jin Blum, PhD, DBSM, an adjunct clinical instructor and first author of the study, said, “We've observed extremely high rates of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth in the RLS group. Exploring the relationship between RLS and gut microbial health has the potential to open novel avenues for possible detection, prevention and treatment for RLS and other sleep disorders.” The study was presented on June 9, 2019, at the Annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies held in San Antonio, TX, USA.
Related Links:
Stanford Sleep Center
Norgen Biotek
SIBO
University of Minnesota Genomics Center
Aerodiagnostics
RLS is a sensorimotor disorder characterized by a complaint of a strong, nearly irresistible urge to move the limbs that is often accompanied by other uncomfortable sensations. These symptoms begin or worsen during periods of rest or inactivity such as lying down or sitting, are partially or totally relieved by movement such as walking or stretching, and occur exclusively or predominantly in the evening or at night. Small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is a condition in which rare gut-residing bacteria are over-represented in the gut.
Scientists at the Stanford Sleep Center (Redwood City, CA, USA) recruited at the center three groups: RLS and low peripheral iron stores of less than 50ng/mL and/or transferrin saturation of less than 18%, RLS and normal peripheral iron stores, and insomnia (control).
Participants completed questionnaires concerning sleep and SIBO symptoms and were sent home with the Fecal Swab Collection and Preservation System fecal collection kit (Norgen Biotek, Thorold, ON, Canada; https://norgenbiotek.com) and a SIBO Home Breath Test Kit, (Mullumbimby, Australia).
Fecal samples are assayed by the University of Minnesota Genomics Center (Minneapolis, MN, USA) with microbial community profiling evaluated by 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) gene sequencing protocols. SIBO breath samples are evaluated by Aerodiagnostics (Concord, MA, USA) for hydrogen and methane abnormalities.
The investigators reported that seven participants diagnosed with RLS (three men and four women) have thus far completed the protocol. All indicated poor sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI] ≥ 5) and moderate to severe symptoms of RLS (IRLS scores ranging from 13 to 34/40). SIBO was present in all seven participants (100%) whereas general population rates are estimated to be 6% to15%.
Daniel Jin Blum, PhD, DBSM, an adjunct clinical instructor and first author of the study, said, “We've observed extremely high rates of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth in the RLS group. Exploring the relationship between RLS and gut microbial health has the potential to open novel avenues for possible detection, prevention and treatment for RLS and other sleep disorders.” The study was presented on June 9, 2019, at the Annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies held in San Antonio, TX, USA.
Related Links:
Stanford Sleep Center
Norgen Biotek
SIBO
University of Minnesota Genomics Center
Aerodiagnostics
Latest Pathology News
- AI-Powered Digital Imaging System to Revolutionize Cancer Diagnosis
- New Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Panel to Support Real-Time Surveillance and Combat Antimicrobial Resistance
- New Method Offers Sustainable Approach to Universal Metabolic Cancer Diagnosis
- Spatial Tissue Analysis Identifies Patterns Associated With Ovarian Cancer Relapse
- Unique Hand-Warming Technology Supports High-Quality Fingertip Blood Sample Collection
- Image-Based AI Shows Promise for Parasite Detection in Digitized Stool Samples
- Deep Learning Powered AI Algorithms Improve Skin Cancer Diagnostic Accuracy
- Microfluidic Device for Cancer Detection Precisely Separates Tumor Entities
- Virtual Skin Biopsy Determines Presence of Cancerous Cells
- AI Detects Viable Tumor Cells for Accurate Bone Cancer Prognoses Post Chemotherapy
- First Ever Technique Identifies Single Cancer Cells in Blood for Targeted Treatments
- Innovative Blood Collection Device Overcomes Common Obstacles Related to Phlebotomy
- Intra-Operative POC Device Distinguishes Between Benign and Malignant Ovarian Cysts within 15 Minutes
- Simple Skin Biopsy Test Detects Parkinson’s and Related Neurodegenerative Diseases
- Bioinformatics Tool to Identify Chromosomal Alterations in Tumor Cells Can Improve Cancer Diagnosis
- Coin-Sized Device Rapidly Isolates Blood Plasma for Quicker and More Precise Clinical Diagnoses