A genetic study of Hodgkin's lymphoma: an estimate of heritability and anticipation based on the familial cancer database in Sweden.
Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) is a heterogeneous hemopoietic malignancy. Previous studies have implicated a genetic etiology responsible for familial HL. We have estimated the heritability of HL and tested the hypothesis of genetic anticipation by using a high quality cancer database of the Swedish population. Heritability was estimated by employing a threshold-liability model. To test the hypothesis of anticipation, the usual T-test procedure was used to test whether there was a difference in cancer age-of-onset between parents and children who were affected with HL. A randomization test was carried out to test the validity of the P-values. Additional analyses were performed after stratifying the data based on birth cohorts. This data set revealed that there was a difference between the age-of-onset of parents and of offspring who were affected with HL. We also estimated the heritability of HL in the Swedish population to be approximately 28.4%. Both findings provide further evidence for a genetic basis for HL.
Shugart
Y Y
YY
Center for Inherited Disease Research, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA. yyao@cidr.jhmi.edu
Hemminki
K
K
Vaittinen
P
P
Kingman
A
A
Dong
C
C
D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D020132:Anticipation, Genetic; D001699:Biometry; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008957:Models, Genetic; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology