Multipoint linkage analysis using the weighted-pairwise correlation statistic

Genet Epidemiol. 1999:17 Suppl 1:S515-9. doi: 10.1002/gepi.1370170783.

Abstract

The weighted pairwise correlation (WPC) approach provides simple and flexible non-parametric tests for genetic linkage which may be adapted to qualitative, quantitative or age-dependent traits. Although this statistic has often been used with identity-by-state (IBS) information, there is much to gain by using multipoint identity-by-descent (IBD) information. The purpose of this paper is to use the unified multipoint approach of Kruglyak et al. [1996] with the WPC statistic. We used the simulated data of a complex disease proposed in GAW11 (problem 2) to validate this approach and to compare the multipoint WPC to the IBS-WPC and to the multilocus approach using the conventional non-parametric statistics S(pairs) and S(all). The results suggest that the multipoint WPC may be the most powerful approach.

MeSH terms

  • Genetic Linkage*
  • Genetic Testing
  • Humans
  • Models, Genetic*
  • Models, Statistical
  • Software
  • Statistics, Nonparametric