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Published on: March 13, 2011
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DNA from nails for genetic analyses in large-scale epidemiologic studies
Janneke G F Hogervorst1, Roger W L Godschalk2, Piet A van den Brandt3
1Department of Epidemiology, School for Oncology and Developmental Biology (GROW), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands. jgf.hogervorst@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
Summary
Nail clippings provide a viable and cost-effective source of genomic DNA for large-scale genetic studies. Despite DNA degradation, genotyping is successful using optimized methods, making nails an attractive biospecimen.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Epidemiology
- Genomic DNA Analysis
- Biospecimen Research
Background:
- Nails offer an accessible and participant-friendly alternative to blood for genomic DNA collection in large epidemiologic studies.
- Nail clippings are inexpensive and simple to obtain and store compared to other biological samples.
Discussion:
- This study evaluated toenail DNA yield and quality for genetic analyses.
- Genotyping was performed using Sequenom MassARRAY iPLEX and Illumina HumanCytoSNP_FFPE DNA arrays.
- Findings were compared with existing studies on nail DNA and other tissue sources.
Key Insights:
- Successful genotyping of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was achieved with average call rates of 97.1% (Sequenom) and 93.8% (Illumina), despite DNA degradation.
- Nail DNA is suitable for genotyping in large-scale studies when appropriate methods for degraded DNA are employed.
Outlook:
- Nails represent a promising DNA source for future large-scale epidemiologic studies.
- Next-generation sequencing technologies may further enhance the utility of nail DNA due to reduced sensitivity to degradation.
- The ease of collection and storage makes nails a superior option for biospecimen collection in terms of cost and logistics.
