Soft tissue body composition differences in monozygotic twins discordant for spinal cord injury

Abstract

To determine the effect of paralysis on body composition, eight pairs of male monozygotic twins, one twin in each pair with paraplegia, were studied by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Significant loss of total body lean tissue mass was found in the paralyzed twins compared with their able-bodied co-twins: 47.5 ± 6.7 vs. 60.1 ± 7.8 (SD) kg ( P < 0.005). Regionally, arm lean tissue mass was not different between the twin pairs, whereas trunk and leg lean tissue masses were significantly lower in the paralyzed twins: −3.0 ± 3.3 kg ( P < 0.05) and −10.1 ± 4.0 kg ( P < 0.0005), respectively. Bone mineral content of the total body and legs was significantly related to lean tissue mass in the able-bodied twins ( R = 0.88 and 0.98, respectively) but not in the paralyzed twins. However, the intrapair difference scores for bone and lean tissue mass were significantly related ( R = 0.80 and 0.81, respectively). The paralyzed twins had significantly more total body fat mass and percent fat per unit body mass index than the able-bodied twins: 4.8 kg ( P < 0.05) and 7 ± 2% ( P< 0.01). In the paralyzed twins, total body lean tissue was significantly lost (mostly from the trunk and legs), independent of age, at a rate of 3.9 ± 0.2 kg per 5-yr period of paralysis ( R = 0.87, P < 0.005). Extreme disuse from paralysis appears to contribute to a parallel loss of bone with loss of lean tissue in the legs. The continuous lean tissue loss may represent a form of sarcopenia that is progressive and accelerated compared with that in ambulatory individuals.