Power of a score test for quantitative trait linkage analysis of relative pairs

The score test of Dudoit and Speed [(2000) Biostatistics 1:1-26] to detect linkage between a trait locus and a marker locus, using identity by descent data on sib pairs, is extended to other types of relative pairs (grandparent/grandchild, avuncular, and half-sib relationships). The test is based on the likelihood of the recombination fraction theta between trait and marker loci, conditional on phenotypes of the relatives. We present results of simulation studies characterizing power and robustness properties of this linkage score test, and compare the power of the score test to that of the classical and modified Haseman-Elston tests. The score test has considerable power, particularly under sampling schemes where selection is on double probands. Use of a generic additive model [Goldstein et al., submitted] with allele frequency p = 0.2, heritability H = 0.3, and a moderate residual correlation of rho = 0.2 resulted in a very good overall performance across a wide range of trait-generating models.