Family-based genome-wide association studies. (February 2009)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Benyamin, Beben; Visscher, Peter M; McRae, Allan F
• Is Part Of: Pharmacogenomics. Volume 10:Number 2(2009)
• Page Start: 181
• Page End: 190
• Publication Date: 2009-02
• Subjects: association -- family -- genome-wide association study -- GWAS -- SNPs -- TDT -- Transmission Disequilibrium Test; Pharmacogenomics -- Periodicals; 615.1
• DOI: 10.2217/14622416.10.2.181
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1462-2416

Abstract

In the last 2 years, the effort to identify genes affecting common diseases and complex traits has been accelerated through the use of genome-wide association studies (GWAS). The availability of existing large collections of linkage data paved the way for the use of family-based GWAS. Although most published GWAS used population-based designs, family-based designs have played an important role, particularly in replication stages. Family-based designs offer advantages in terms of quality control, the robustness to population stratification and the ability to perform genetic analyses that cannot be achieved using a sample of unrelated individuals, such as testing for the effect of imprinted genes on phenotypes, testing whether a genetic variant is inherited or de novo and combined linkage and association analysis.