Boomsma Dorret, Busjahn Andreas, Peltonen Leena
Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Nat Rev Genet. 2002 Nov;3(11):872-82. doi: 10.1038/nrg932.
Twin studies have been a valuable source of information about the genetic basis of complex traits. To maximize the potential of twin studies, large, worldwide registers of data on twins and their relatives have been established. Here, we provide an overview of the current resources for twin research. These can be used to obtain insights into the genetic epidemiology of complex traits and diseases, to study the interaction of genotype with sex, age and lifestyle factors, and to study the causes of co-morbidity between traits and diseases. Because of their design, these registers offer unique opportunities for selected sampling for quantitative trait loci linkage and association studies.
双胞胎研究一直是有关复杂性状遗传基础的宝贵信息来源。为了最大限度地发挥双胞胎研究的潜力，已建立了覆盖全球的大型双胞胎及其亲属数据登记库。在此，我们概述了当前双胞胎研究的资源。这些资源可用于深入了解复杂性状和疾病的遗传流行病学，研究基因型与性别、年龄和生活方式因素的相互作用，以及研究性状和疾病之间共病的原因。由于其设计特点，这些登记库为定量性状位点连锁和关联研究的选择性抽样提供了独特的机会。
