Association of alpha(2)-HS Glycoprotein with Neurogenic Heterotopic Ossification in Patients with Spinal Cord Injury

Background: The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between the alpha(2)-HS glycoprotein concentrations in serum and the occurrence of neurogenic heterotopic ossification (NHO) in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). Material/Methods: During the period between January 2011 and January 2012, 75 patients (67 male) with paraplegia caused by spinal cord injury were enrolled. The patients were divided into 2 groups in accordance with the occurrence of heterotopic ossification based on the results high-frequency ultrasound on the bilateral hip joint. The levels of alpha(2)-HS glycoprotein, C-reactive protein (CRP), D-dimer, and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) were detected by ELISA. Results: We found a significant decrease of alpha(2)-HS glycoprotein in SCI patients with NHO compared to SCI patients without NHO. In contrast, a significant elevation of serum calcium, D-dimer, BMP, and CRP was observed in SCI patients with NHO. The degree of maturity of NHO did not influence the level of alpha(2)-HS glycoprotein. Multivariate liner regression analysis showed that the level of serum alpha(2)-HS glycoprotein was correlated with CRP and spasticity. Conclusions: The decreased level of alpha(2)-HS glycoprotein may be related to the formation of neurogenic heterotopic ossification in patients with spinal cord injury. Our results suggest that alpha(2)-HS glycoprotein might be a risk factor for NHO in patients with SCI.