title: Evaluation of serum myostatin and sclerostin levels in chronic spinal cord injured patients.
abstract: METHODS
  Case-control study.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess serum myostatin levels, bone mineral density (BMD), appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASMM) and serum sclerostin levels in chronic spinal cord injured (SCI) patients and healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  SCI centre in Italy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood samples, whole-body bioelectrical impedance analysis and BMD measurement with the ultrasound technique at the calcaneus level were taken from patients suffering from chronic SCI (both motor complete and incomplete) and healthy control subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 28 SCI patients and 15 healthy controls were enrolled. Serum myostatin levels were statistically higher (P<0.01) in SCI patients compared with healthy controls. Similar results were found comparing both the motor complete and the motor incomplete SCI subgroups to healthy controls. Serum sclerostin was significantly higher in patients with SCI compared with healthy controls (P<0.01). BMD, stiffness and mean T-score values in SCI patients were significantly lower than those in healthy controls. Serum myostatin concentrations in the motor complete SCI subgroups correlated only with serum sclerostin levels (r(2)=0.42; P=0.001) and ASMM (r(2)=0.70; P=0.002) but not in healthy controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum myostatin and serum sclerostin are significantly higher in chronic SCI patients compared with healthy controls. They are potential biomarkers of muscle and bone modifications after SCI. This is the first study reporting an increase in serum myostatin in patients suffering from chronic SCI and a correlation with ASMM.
authors.affiliation: 1] Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Piedmont 'A. Avogadro', Novara, Italy [2] Società Italiana per lo Studio delle Disabilità Muscolo-Scheletriche-SISDIM, Novara, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Invernizzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurorehabilitation and Neuropsychology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carda
authors.affiliation: Innovative Research Laboratory for Wound Healing, Department of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Piedmont 'A. Avogadro', Novara, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rizzi
authors.affiliation: Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Piedmont 'A. Avogadro', Novara, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grana
authors.affiliation: Human Physiology, Department of Traslational Medicine, University of Eastern Piedmont 'A.Avogadro', Novara, Italy.
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Squarzanti
authors.affiliation: 1] Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Piedmont 'A. Avogadro', Novara, Italy [2] Società Italiana per lo Studio delle Disabilità Muscolo-Scheletriche-SISDIM, Novara, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cisari
authors.affiliation: 1] Società Italiana per lo Studio delle Disabilità Muscolo-Scheletriche-SISDIM, Novara, Italy [2] Human Physiology, Department of Traslational Medicine, University of Eastern Piedmont 'A.Avogadro', Novara, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Molinari
authors.affiliation: 1] Società Italiana per lo Studio delle Disabilità Muscolo-Scheletriche-SISDIM, Novara, Italy [2] Innovative Research Laboratory for Wound Healing, Department of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Piedmont 'A. Avogadro', Novara, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Renò
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D055435:Myostatin / Q000097:blood*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D005819:Genetic Markers; D055435:Myostatin; C422903:SOST protein, human