A Bayesian multilocus association method: allowing for higher-order interaction in association studies

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For most common diseases with heritable components, not a single or a few single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) explain most of the variance for these disorders. Instead, much of the variance may be caused by interactions (epistasis) among multiple SNPs or interactions with environmental conditions. We present a new powerful statistical model for analyzing and interpreting genomic data that influence multifactorial phenotypic traits with a complex and likely polygenic inheritance. The new method is based on Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) and allows for identification of sets of SNPs and environmental factors that when combined increase disease risk or change the distribution of a quantitative trait. Using simulations, we show that the MCMC method can detect disease association when multiple, interacting SNPs are present in the data. When applying the method on real large-scale data from a Danish population-based cohort, multiple interactions are identified that severely affect serum triglyceride levels in the study individuals. The method is designed for quantitative traits but can also be applied on qualitative traits. It is computationally feasible even for a large number of possible interactions and differs fundamentally from most previous approaches by entertaining nonlinear interactions and by directly addressing the multiple-testing problem.
Original languageEnglish
JournalGenetics
Volume176
Issue number2
Pages (from-to)1197-208
Number of pages11
ISSN0016-6731
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2007

Bibliographical note

Keywords: Bayes Theorem; Chromosome Mapping; Computer Simulation; Environment; Genetic Variation; Genotype; Markov Chains; Models, Genetic; Monte Carlo Method; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide

ID: 11528852