title: Gamma frailty model for linkage analysis with application to interval-censored migraine data.
abstract: For many diseases, it seems that the age at onset is genetically influenced. Therefore, the age-at-onset data are often collected in order to map the disease gene(s). The ages are often (right) censored or truncated, and therefore, many standard techniques for linkage analysis cannot be used. In this paper, we present a correlated frailty model for censored survival data of siblings. The model is used for testing heritability for the age at onset and linkage between the loci and the gene(s) that influence(s) the survival time. The model is applied to interval-censored migraine twin data. Heritability (obtained from the frailties rather than actual onset times) was estimated as 0.42; this value was highly significant. The highest lod score, a score of 1.9, was found at the end of chromosome 19.
authors: Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1081 a, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands. majonker@few.vu.nl
authors: M A
authors: MA
authors: Jonker
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Bhulai
authors: D I
authors: DI
authors: Boomsma
authors: R S L
authors: RS
authors: Ligthart
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Posthuma
authors: A W
authors: AW
authors: Van der Vaart
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D005260:Female; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009426:Netherlands; D010375:Pedigree; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci; D012016:Reference Values; D012107:Research Design / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016008:Statistical Distributions; D016019:Survival Analysis; D018433:Twin Studies as Topic / Q000379:methods