Effect of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals in Water Environment on Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is present in 2 to 4 percent of children between 10 and 16 years of age, which seriously affects the mental and physical health of young people while is defined as a lateral curvature of the spine greater than 10 degrees accompanied by vertebral rotation. The main risk factors for curve progression are a large curve magnitude, skeletal immaturity and female gender. Previous studies have suggested a possible direct relationship between calmodulin and curve progression, and the expression of Calmodulin in the articular process of AIS patients is low, suggesting that it plays a role in the development and progression of AIS. Calmodulin is the calcium binding receptor protein which can bind to and regulate a multitude of different protein targets. Thereby it could affect many different cellular functions, such as inflammation, metabolism, apoptosis, muscle contraction, intracellular movement, short-term and long-term memory, nerve growth and the immune response. Strong claims have been made about the possible adverse effects of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) on growth, reproduction and development in both humans and animals, and some papers investigate the interaction of EDCs with cell-signaling pathways, such as Ca+ and Calmodulin, to understand how these chemicals disturb development of the endocrine system and of the organs that respond to endocrine signals in organisms indirectly exposed during prenatal and/or early postnatal life. Calmodulin are substances which may interfere with normal function of the endocrine (hormone) system of humans. Some source water and tap water in China have been contaminated by EDCs, and they can not be removed completely by drinking water treatment system of city. Humans are exposed daily to EDCs in water which have potential endocrine disrupting activity. So we suggest that the EDCs in water could affect AIS through various interacting with Ca+ and Calmodulin in signaling pathways. Further research would be carried out to find much more details, but the most important thing is that human should improve water treatment system to reduce EDCs in water and lower the effect on AIS.