title: On the use of DNA pooling to estimate haplotype frequencies.
abstract: Genome-wide association studies may be necessary to identify genes underlying certain complex diseases. Because such studies can be extremely expensive, DNA pooling has been introduced, as it may greatly reduce the genotyping burden. Parallel to DNA pooling developments, the importance of haplotypes in genetic studies has been amply demonstrated in the literature. However, DNA pooling of a large number of samples may lose haplotype information among tightly linked genetic markers. Here, we examine the cost-effectiveness of DNA pooling in the estimation of haplotype frequencies from population data. When the maximum likelihood estimates of haplotype frequencies are obtained from pooled samples, we compare the overall cost of the study, including both DNA collection and marker genotyping, between the individual genotyping strategy and the DNA pooling strategy. We find that the DNA pooling of two individuals can be more cost-effective than individual genotypings, especially when a large number of haplotype systems are studied.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8034, USA.
authors.forename: Shuang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Kenneth K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Kidd
authors.forename: Hongyu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002874:Chromosome Mapping / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics*; D005788:Gene Pool; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics; D005828:Genetics, Population / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D005838:Genotype; D006239:Haplotypes / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008957:Models, Genetic; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics; D012494:Sampling Studies