Genome Scan for Body Mass Index and Height in the Framingham Heart Study
Author Information
Author(s): Geller Frank, Dempfle Astrid, Görg Tilman
Primary Institution: Institute of Medical Biometry and Epidemiology, Philipps-University of Marburg
Hypothesis
What is the genetic background of body mass index (BMI) and height?
Conclusion
The study successfully identified linked regions for BMI and height, particularly on chromosomes 6 and 16 for BMI and chromosomes 6, 9, and 12 for height.
Supporting Evidence
- Evidence for linkage to BMI was found on chromosomes 16 and 6.
- The maximum LOD score for BMI was 3.2 on chromosome 16.
- For height, the maximum LOD score was 2.45 on chromosome 6.
Takeaway
Scientists looked at the genes of people in a big family study to find out what makes them tall or heavy. They found some important areas in their DNA that might help explain these traits.
Methodology
Linkage genome scan using two variance-components approaches (SOLAR and MERLIN-VC) and one regression method (MERLIN-REGRESS).
Limitations
The power of linkage analysis was reduced due to missing DNA from many founders.
Participant Demographics
Almost all participants were of Caucasian origin.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website