RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Measuring environmental factors can enhance the search for disease causing genes?
JF Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
JO J Epidemiol Community Health
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 613
OP 615
DO 10.1136/jech.2003.012971
VO 58
IS 7
A1 T Dwyer
A1 A-L Ponsonby
A1 J Stankovich
A1 L Blizzard
A1 S Easteal
YR 2004
UL http://jech.bmj.com/content/58/7/613.abstract
AB The value of the concurrent measurement of environmental factors in studies aimed at the discovery of disease causing genes has been questioned on the grounds that such an approach fails to increase study power. This report discusses the issue and shows with examples from the recent literature that the examination of a gene disease association within an environmental subgroup can provide enhanced opportunities for detecting gene effects. The concurrent collection of environmental as well as genetic factors in studies of disease aetiology may enhance study informativeness and validity in several ways, including an increase in the power of the study to detect gene disease associations.