title: Identifying genetic variation affecting a complex trait in simulated data: a comparison of meta-analysis with pooled data analysis.
abstract: We explored the power and consistency to detect linkage and association with meta-analysis and pooled data analysis using Genetic Analysis Workshop 14 simulated data. The first 10 replicates from Aipotu population were used. Significant linkage and association was found at all 4 regions containing the major loci for Kofendrerd Personality Disorder (KPD) using both combined analyses although no significant linkage and association was found at all these regions in a single replicate. The linkage results from both analyses are consistent in terms of the significance level of linkage test and the estimate of locus location. After correction for multiple-testing, significant associations were detected for the same 8 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in both analyses. There were another 2 SNPs for which significant associations with KPD were found only by pooled data analysis. Our study showed that, under homogeneous condition, the results from meta-analysis and pooled data analysis are similar in both linkage and association studies and the loss of power is limited using meta-analysis. Thus, meta-analysis can provide an overall evaluation of linkage and association when the original raw data is not available for combining.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology, Loyola University Chicago Medical Center, Maywood, IL, USA. xwu@apache.medctr.luhs.org
authors.forename: Xiaodong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Donghui
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kan
authors.forename: Richard S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: Xiaofeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D030541:Databases, Genetic; D005190:Family; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D020161:Physical Chromosome Mapping; D019655:Quantitative Trait, Heritable