Cost of linkage versus association methods.
Identifying genetic factors that influence disease risk is a major goal in genetic epidemiology. In the past, for disease with relatively simple etiology, genetic linkage methods have been highly effective for this purpose. However, as we begin to study more complex diseases and disorders for which each specific genetic factor may play a minor role in causation, the relative values of genetic linkage methods that do not require linkage disequilibrium versus association-based methods that do require linkage disequilibrium must be evaluated. Here, we compare the cost-effectiveness of linkage and association methods for identifying genetic factors for a quantitative trait locus that explains 10% of interindividual variability. We find that the choice of analytical scheme depends upon the degree of disequilibrium in the population. Because this parameter has not been adequately assessed, planning association studies is currently difficult.
Amos
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Department of Epidemiology and Biomathematics, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030, USA.
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D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002874:Chromosome Mapping / Q000191:economics*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005787:Gene Frequency; D006801:Humans; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D010641:Phenotype; D019655:Quantitative Trait, Heritable