Method of classifying human subjects having adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

1. A method of classifying a human subject having adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) comprising: providing a cell sample isolated from the subject; detecting an impairment in melatonin-signaling pathway in the sample in the presence and in the absence of a known melatonin-signaling pathway agonist, wherein the impairment is detected by an accumulation of cyclic adenosine 5′-monophosphate (cAMP) in the cell sample as compared to that in a control cell sample whereby the results of the detecting step enables the classification of the subject having AIS in one AIS subgroup.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of selecting a treatment for the subject based on the results of the detecting step.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said accumulation of cAMP is induced by a known activator of adenylyl cyclase, and wherein the impairment is detected by an inhibition of said accumulation by a known melatonin-signaling pathway agonist that is detectably reduced in the cell sample as compared to that obtained in a control cell.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said known activator of adenylyl cyclase is forskolin.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein said known melatonin-signaling pathway agonist is melatonin.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said known melatonin-signaling pathway agonist is GTP.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said cells are selected from the group consisting of osteoblasts, osteoclasts, lymphocytes, monocytes and myoblasts.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said cells are blood cells.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said cells are lymphocytes.