[Expression of calmodulin in the articular process of vertebrae of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the expression of calmodulin in the articular process of vertebrae of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients and congenital scoliosis (CS) patients and its possible effects on the pathogenesis of AIS.


METHODS
Nine AIS patients aged 13 - 17, and 10 patients of CS, aged 11 - 18, underwent orthopedic surgery. Specimens of the inferior articular process from the apical vertebrae and upper end vertebrae discarded during operation were collected from the AIS patients and specimens of the. Inferior articular process from the upper end vertebrae wee collected from the CS patients. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the protein expression of calmodulin, and in situ hybridization was adopted to examine the mRNA expression of calmodulin.


RESULTS
Calmodulin were expressed in the bone cells. There was no difference between the expression of calmodulin at the concave side and convex side, or between the apical vertebrae and end vertebrae. The expression of calmodulin of the AIS group was significant lower than that of the CS group (P < 0.05). The result of immunohistochemistry and that of in situ hybridization corresponded with each other.


CONCLUSIONS
The expression of calmodulin in the articular process of vertebrae of AIS patients is low, suggesting that it plays a role in the development and progression of AIS.
Qiu
Gui-xing
GX
Department of Orthopedics, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
Li
Jing
J
Liu
Yong
Y
Wu
Zhi-hong
ZH
Zhao
Zhen-guo
ZG
D000293:Adolescent; D002147:Calmodulin / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000151:congenital / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D021801:Zygapophyseal Joint / Q000378:metabolism*
D002147:Calmodulin; D012333:RNA, Messenger