Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Is low melatonin a cause?

Background. Although the cause of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis remains u nclear, pinealectomy is followed by the development of scoliosis in chicken s. Melatonin is the only hormone secreted by pineal gland. Objective. To as sess serum melatonin levels in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis. Metho ds. Serum melatonin was assayed once, at 12:00 hours, in each of 20 adolesc ents 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 (ra nge, 20 degrees-110 degrees). Mean age in the control group was 14 years. R esults. 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 pati ents (nonsignificant P and regression coefficient values). Serum melatonin was not significantly correlated with the Cobb's angle (regression coeffici ent, 0.18; P < 0.44). Conclusion. Our data suggest that serum melatonin lev els may contribute to the pathogenesis of idiopathic scoliosis. (C) 2000 Ed itions scientifiques ei. medicales Elsevier SAS.