Effects of Sex, Age, and Generation on Gene Expression Analysis
Author Information
Author(s): Rangrej Jagadish, Beyene Joseph, Hu Pingzhao, Paterson Andrew D
Primary Institution: The Hospital for Sick Children
Hypothesis
Does gene expression in lymphoblasts differ by age and/or sex?
Conclusion
Age significantly affects gene expression, while sex has a lesser impact.
Supporting Evidence
- 30 genes showed significant differences by sex.
- 1950 genes showed significant differences associated with age.
- 462 linkage results disappeared when age was included as a covariate.
Takeaway
This study found that how old you are can change how your genes work, and boys and girls have some differences too.
Methodology
Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to analyze gene expression data, with age and sex as covariates.
Potential Biases
The approach may lead to false-positive linkage results due to the bimodal distribution of some traits.
Limitations
Age data were missing for all individuals in one family and for three individuals in other families.
Participant Demographics
Participants included 99 males and 95 females, with ages ranging from 3 to 92 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.000097 for sex, 0.023 for age
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
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