Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a spinal deformity most commonly 
arising in apparently healthy girls around puberty. AIS has a strong genetic 
predisposition. Several genetic associations between AIS and single nucleotide 
polymorphisms (SNPs) have been reported; common SNPs in the genes for matrilin 1 
(MATN1), melatonin receptor 1B (MTNR1B), tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1), and 
insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) are reported to be associated with AIS in 
Chinese. However, these associations have not been replicated so far. To confirm 
the associations, we compared these SNPs with AIS predisposition and curve 
severity in a population of Japanese females consisting of 798 AIS patients and 
1,239 controls. All the subjects were genotyped using the PCR-based Invader 
assay. We found no association of any of the SNPs with AIS predisposition or 
curve severity. Considering the statistical power and sample size of the present 
study, we concluded that these SNPs are not associated with either AIS 
predisposition or curve severity in Japanese.