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Identification of genes for a complex trait: examples from hypertension
1Department of General Pediatrics, Medical University of Graz, Austria. alexander.binder@uni-graz.at
Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology
|February 14, 2006
Summary
Identifying genes for essential hypertension (EH) is challenging. This review examines linkage and association studies, highlighting methods to improve the understanding of complex genetic traits like EH.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Cardiovascular Disease Research
Background:
- Essential hypertension (EH) affects 20% of adults, stemming from gene-environment interactions.
- Identifying susceptibility genes for complex traits like EH remains a significant challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current strategies for identifying hypertension susceptibility genes.
- To discuss the strengths and limitations of different genetic study approaches for EH.
Main Methods:
- Review of linkage analysis and genetic association studies (including genome-wide association studies).
- Discussion of critical factors for high-quality association studies: phenotype definition, sample size, population stratification, and linkage disequilibrium.
Main Results:
- Linkage analysis has been largely unsuccessful for EH due to its limitations with complex traits.
- Genetic association studies, particularly genome-wide association studies, offer a more promising approach.
- Haplotype analysis can mitigate issues related to linkage disequilibrium and multiple testing.
Conclusions:
- Improved study designs, including larger cohorts and advanced analytical methods, are crucial for identifying EH susceptibility genes.
- A novel evolutionary candidate gene approach may enhance understanding of complex diseases like hypertension.