Transmission Ratio Distortion in Families from the Framingham Heart Study
Author Information
Author(s): Andrew D Paterson, Lei Sun, Xiao-Qing Liu
Primary Institution: The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Hypothesis
We hypothesized that loci that behave in a non-Mendelian fashion could be identified using genotype data from the Framingham Heart Study families.
Conclusion
Although no loci meeting genome-wide significance were detected to demonstrate transmission ratio distortion, loci with suggestive evidence for linkage were detected.
Supporting Evidence
- Four regions demonstrated excess sharing of alleles at p < 0.002 when sibships were stratified by gender.
- A female-specific locus co-localized with a region linked to mean systolic blood pressure.
- Three other regions demonstrated excess sharing of alleles in sibships irrespective of gender.
Takeaway
The study looked at families from the Framingham Heart Study to see if siblings share genes more than expected by chance, but found only weak evidence for this.
Methodology
Multipoint linkage analysis of siblings was performed using an allele-sharing method on genotype data from 398 autosomal microsatellite markers.
Potential Biases
Families selected for large sibship size may bias against the detection of TRD loci.
Limitations
No results for TRD reached either suggestive or significant linkage in the context of genome-wide studies.
Participant Demographics
The Framingham families are predominantly White and were not recruited for the presence of disease.
Statistical Information
P-Value
7.5 × 10-4
Statistical Significance
p < 0.002
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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