Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Is low melatonin a cause?

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, King Fadh University Hospital, Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Although the cause of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis remains unclear, pinealectomy is followed by the development of scoliosis in chickens. Melatonin is the only hormone secreted by pineal gland. OBJECTIVE: To assess serum melatonin levels in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis. METHODS: Serum melatonin was assayed once, at 12:00 hours, in each of 20 adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis and 10 age-matched siblings. In the patient group, mean age was 14.3 years and the mean Cobb angle was 54.5 degrees (range, 20 degrees-110 degrees). Mean age in the control group was 14 years. RESULTS: Serum melatonin was significantly lower in the patients (mean, 7.7 pg/mL; range, 4 to 13 pg/mL) than in the controls (mean, 29.9 pg/mL; range, 19.3 to 46 pg/mL) (P < 0.00001). The 12 surgically treated patients had a mean melatonin level of 8.1 pg/mL, versus 7.2 pg/mL in the eight other patients (nonsignificant P and regression coefficient values). Serum melatonin was not significantly correlated with the Cobb's angle (regression coefficient, 0.18; P < 0.44). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that serum melatonin levels may contribute to the pathogenesis of idiopathic scoliosis.

PMID: 10773970 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]