Abstract

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a complex three-dimensional structural deformity of the spine with unknown etiology. Although leptin has been postulated as one of the etiologic factors in AIS, its effects on osteoblastic activity remain unknown. Herein, we conducted this study to investigate whether there are abnormal functional responses to leptin and abnormal expression of leptin receptor in AIS osteoblasts. In vitro assays were performed with osteoblasts isolated from 12 severe AIS girls and 6 non-AIS controls. The osteoblasts were exposed to different concentrations of leptin (0, 10, 100, 1000 ng/mL). The effects of leptin on cell proliferation, differentiation and mineralization were determined. Protein expressions of leptin receptor (LEP-R) under basal and osteogenic conditions were also evaluated by Western blot. Our results showed that leptin significantly stimulated osteoblasts from non-AIS subjects to proliferate, differentiate and mineralized. However, in the AIS group, the stimulatory effects of leptin on cell proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization were not observed. In addition, no statistically significant difference in the expression of leptin receptor under both basal and osteogenic conditions was found between AIS and control group. In conclusion, these findings might help to explain the low bone mass and deranged bone quality that is clinically associated with AIS girls.

Details

Title
Abnormal Osteoblastic Response to Leptin in Patients with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis
Author
Man, Gene Chi-Wai 1 ; Tam, Elisa Man-Shan 1 ; Wong, Yi Shun 1 ; Hung, Vivian Wing-Ying 2 ; Hu, Zongshan 1 ; Lam, Tsz Ping 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Liu, Zhen 3 ; Cheung, Wing Hoi 4 ; Ng, Tzi Bun 5 ; Zhu, Zezhang 3 ; Qiu, Yong 3 ; Jack Chun-Yiu Cheng 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

1  SH Ho Scoliosis Research Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, The Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong, SAR, China; The Joint Scoliosis Research Center of the Chinese University of Hong Kong-Nanjing University, Hong Kong, SAR, China 
2  SH Ho Scoliosis Research Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, The Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong, SAR, China; Bone Quality and Health Centre, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China; The Joint Scoliosis Research Center of the Chinese University of Hong Kong-Nanjing University, Hong Kong, SAR, China 
3  Department of Spine Surgery, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China; The Joint Scoliosis Research Center of the Chinese University of Hong Kong-Nanjing University, Hong Kong, SAR, China 
4  SH Ho Scoliosis Research Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, The Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong, SAR, China; Bone Quality and Health Centre, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China 
5  School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China 
Pages
1-7
Publication year
2019
Publication date
Nov 2019
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20452322
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-53757-3
ProQuest document ID
2316421946
Copyright
© 2019. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.