title: Assessing the quality of case-control association studies on the genetic basis of sepsis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To define methodological standards that would improve the quality and reproducibility of case-control genetic association studies in sepsis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Summary of the published standards.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twelve main criteria and measures for evaluation of those criteria were developed from a variety of reviews and editorials on the subject.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Case-control candidate gene association studies represent an important tool for understanding the role that genes play in the pathogenesis of sepsis. It is important, however, to understand the limitations of these studies and the need for replication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia and the Division of Critical Care Medicine, Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Sally H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Vitali
authors.forename: Adrienne G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Randolph
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000592:standards*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011786:Quality Control; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018805:Sepsis / Q000235:genetics*