Study design: A prospective study was designed to investigate the circulating leptin level in girls with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS).
Objective: To determine the circulating leptin levels in AIS girls, and to investigate its associations with body mass and bone mass.
Summary of background data: Abnormal growth pattern and osteopenia have been well documented in AIS patients throughout the peripubertal growth period. Leptin has been shown to regulate the growth of the whole body and bone particularly during childhood and adolescence. However, the circulating level of leptin, the relationships between leptin and lower body mass, and the relationships between leptin and lower bone mass in AIS patients remain unclear.
Methods: One hundred twenty AIS girls and 80 healthy controls were recruited in this study. Measurements of anthropometry and circulating leptin were performed both in AIS and non-AIS girls. Evaluations of curve severity and measurements of bone mineral content/density (BMC/BMD) were performed only in AIS girls. The anthropometric data and circulating leptin levels were compared between older AIS girls and controls. The relationships between leptin and age, menstrual status, body weight, height, body mass index (BMI), Risser sign, curve magnitude, and BMC/BMD were analyzed in AIS girls.
Results: Compared with healthy controls, an abnormal growth pattern (higher corrected height, lower weight, and lower BMI), and a marked decrease of circulating leptin were found in AIS girls, even after the adjustment for age and menstrual status. Positive correlations were found between leptin and age, menstrual status, body weight, height, BMI, and Risser sign. No significant correlation was found between leptin and curve magnitude. There was no significant difference in age at menarche between menstruating AIS and non-AIS girls, though an inverse correlation was observed between leptin and the age at menarche. The relationship between leptin and BMC/BMD remained significantly positive after controlling for age and menstrual status, although it was not independent of body weight or BMI.
Conclusion: A marked decrease of circulating leptin was observed in the current study. There was an association between leptin and body weight, BMI, other growth parameters, and BMC/BMD. This correlation suggests that leptin might play an important role in the lower body and bone mass in AIS girls.