TY - JOUR
T1 - Evaluation of Relative Risks from the Correlation between Relatives
T2 - A Theoretical Approach
AU - Chakraborty, Ranajit
AU - Weiss, K. M.
AU - Ward, R. H.
N1 - Funding Information:
This is Demographic Epidemiology of Aging and Disease Paper No. 6, supported by the United States Public Health Service Grants CA19311 and AC 01028 from the National Institutes of Health.
PY - 1980/6
Y1 - 1980/6
N2 - For simple Mendelian traits the relative risks In a certain type of relative can be determined when the phenotype (or genotype) of the proband is known. On the other hand, for a quantitative trait the relative contribution of gene and environment is determined by assembling data on correlation between relatives. When the trait is purely qualitative but the age of onset varies, the concept of correlation between relatives can be extended to the joi nt distribution of the age of onset in probands and their relatives. This approach serves two purposes: first, through this we can predict the age-specific risk rates for relatives of a proband whose age of onset for the trait is known; and second, if the parametric form of the hazard rate in the general population is known, the resolution of genetic versus nongenetic causes of the trait can be attempted from these studies. Here we outline the principles of the joint distribution of age of onset among relatives in general terms, and illustrate the statistical power of the method to detect certain changes in the parameters of the hazard function which indirectly indicate the relative influences of genetic versus nongenetic factors to the trait. The merits of this approach over the other forms of pedigree analysis are also discussed.
AB - For simple Mendelian traits the relative risks In a certain type of relative can be determined when the phenotype (or genotype) of the proband is known. On the other hand, for a quantitative trait the relative contribution of gene and environment is determined by assembling data on correlation between relatives. When the trait is purely qualitative but the age of onset varies, the concept of correlation between relatives can be extended to the joi nt distribution of the age of onset in probands and their relatives. This approach serves two purposes: first, through this we can predict the age-specific risk rates for relatives of a proband whose age of onset for the trait is known; and second, if the parametric form of the hazard rate in the general population is known, the resolution of genetic versus nongenetic causes of the trait can be attempted from these studies. Here we outline the principles of the joint distribution of age of onset among relatives in general terms, and illustrate the statistical power of the method to detect certain changes in the parameters of the hazard function which indirectly indicate the relative influences of genetic versus nongenetic factors to the trait. The merits of this approach over the other forms of pedigree analysis are also discussed.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84973037703&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/01459740.1980.9965878
DO - 10.1080/01459740.1980.9965878
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84973037703
VL - 4
SP - 397
EP - 414
JO - Medical Anthropology
JF - Medical Anthropology
SN - 0145-9740
IS - 3
ER -