Sibling correlations and segregation analysis of age-related maculopathy: the Beaver Dam Eye Study.
Sibling correlations were evaluated and segregation analysis was performed on age-dependent maculopathy scores of the right and left eyes of individuals from 564 families in the Beaver Dam Eye study. There is evidence of significant sibling correlations. The data fit a mixture of two normal distributions, especially after undergoing the Box and Cox power transformation. In each eye, the hypothesis of mendelian transmission of a major effect cannot be rejected under the tau AB free model, but is rejected under the tau's free model. The hypothesis of a random environmental major effect is rejected. Similar major gene parameter estimates are found for both eyes. The results are consistent with a major effect accounting for 62% and 59%, in the right and left eyes, respectively, of the determination of age-related maculopathy scores. A single major gene can account for about 89% and 97% of this variability due to a major effect, or for about 55% and 57% of the total variability, in the right and left eyes, respectively.
Department of Biometry and Genetics, LSU Medical Center, New Orleans 70112-1393.
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Heiba
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RC
Elston
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BE
Klein
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Klein
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015982:Bias; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D005799:Genes, Dominant; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008957:Models, Genetic; D016011:Normal Distribution; D010375:Pedigree; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014922:Wisconsin / Q000453:epidemiology