Abstract
Genomic regions of interest can be narrowed by studying populations that have patterns of low linkage disequilibrium. A recent study of body mass index in African Americans demonstrated this point and, through cross-population analyses, revealed additional genomic associations. This comparative analysis showed how rare alleles that associate with traits in specific populations can be detected in cohorts where the same alleles are not rare, and highlights how population diversity can aid genetic analyses.
Highlights
Genome-wide studies and the search for genes that affect complex disease Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have revolutionized the way that geneticists search for loci that affect human diseases and phenotypes [1]
The authors first tested 21 genes known to associate with high body mass index (BMI) in people of European descent for a similar association in 30,000 African American individuals
They performed exploratory meta-analyses on the remaining Metabochip Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) to identify additional, and novel, markers associated with BMI in African American individuals
Summary
Genome-wide studies and the search for genes that affect complex disease Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have revolutionized the way that geneticists search for loci that affect human diseases and phenotypes [1]. Searching for BMI-associated variants in African American populations can provide extremely useful information to guide expensive and time-consuming functional studies that may lead to either universal or population-specific prevention and treatment regimens. The authors first tested 21 genes known to associate with high BMI in people of European descent for a similar association in 30,000 African American individuals.
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