Understanding Gene Expression in Obese Humans
Author Information
Author(s): Dobrin Radu, Greenawalt Danielle M., Hu Guanghui, Kemp Daniel M., Kaplan Lee M., Schadt Eric E., Emilsson Valur
Primary Institution: Merck Research Laboratories
Hypothesis
What role do sample size and environment play in the identification of cis eQTLs?
Conclusion
The study found that while the number of unique cis eQTLs saturates with sample size, the number of common cis eQTLs continues to increase.
Supporting Evidence
- The study identified 37,585 gene expression traits across three tissues.
- Approximately 90% of cis eQTLs detected in smaller samples were also found in the largest sample.
- The number of cis eQTLs common to all tissues continued to increase with sample size.
Takeaway
This study looked at how genes behave in obese people and found that bigger groups of people help find more gene connections.
Methodology
The study analyzed gene expression traits in three tissues from a cohort of obese individuals undergoing gastric bypass surgery.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the homogeneity of the sample population, predominantly self-reported Caucasian and female.
Limitations
The study is limited to a specific cohort of morbidly obese individuals, which may affect the generalizability of the findings.
Participant Demographics
The cohort was predominantly (88%) self-reported 'white' and female (75%).
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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