Is there any regulatory gene defect behind idiopathic scoliosis?

The genetic background of idiopathic scoliosis was sought for by taking up family records and pedigrees to monitor the increase of cases in the famili es of probands with the manifest syndrome. Progression of the disorder in t ime was characterised through detailed physical examination. Karyotypes of patients with idiopathic scoliosis have been established in o rder to try to localise the genes responsible for the alteration of somatic left-right lateral asymmetry during development [1]. Comparative genomic h ybridisation was installed for identification of DNA sequences responsible for idiopathic scoliosis. Differences in genic expression between the left and right body halves were examined in poly-A tail RNA fractions prepared f rom skeletal muscle samples of surgically treated patients.