TITLE:
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) Genomic Variants and Salivary Progesterone Levels in Female Patients with a History of Idiopathic Scoliosis: An Historical Cross-Sectional Study
AUTHORS:
Mark W. Morningstar, Megan Strauchman
KEYWORDS:
Genomics, Hormone, Progesterone, Scoliosis
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Clinical Diagnostics,
Vol.12 No.2,
June
8,
2022
ABSTRACT: Purpose: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is a condition characterized by a three-dimensional curvature of the spine. However, in addition to the spinal curvature, it has also been reported that patients with idiopathic scoliosis can display other abnormal physiologic parameters, such as hormone imbalances, genetic variants, and micronutrient deficiencies. The present study evaluated the salivary progesterone levels, as well as the results of brain-derived neu-rotrophic factor (BDNF) genomic testing, from a historical cohort of patients seeking treatment at a single integrative medicine clinic. Method: A group of female patients with a history of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis was compared to a group of non-scoliosis female patients. Results: Salivary progesterone lev-els were 41% higher in non-scoliosis patients compared to the scoliosis group (P Conclusion: These results suggest a potential relationship between salivary progesterone, BDNF, and adolescent idiopathic scoliosis among female patients. Prospective studies are needed for data extrapolation. The current data warrants further investigation.