Identification of genes involved in alcohol consumption and cigarettes smoking

We compared the results of quantitative linkage analysis using single-nucleotide polymorphisms and microsatellite markers and introduced a new screening test for multivariate quantitative linkage analysis using the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism data. We analyzed 115 extended non-Hispanic White families and tested for linkage using two phenotypes: the maximum number of drinks in a 24-hour period and the number of packs smoked per day for one year. Our results showed that the linkage signal increased using single-nucleotide polymorphisms compared with microsatellite markers and that the screening test gave similar results to that of the bivariate analysis, suggesting its potential use in reducing overall analysis time.