[Detecting gene-gene/environment interactions by model-based multifactor dimensionality reduction].

This paper introduces a method called model-based multifactor dimensionality reduction (MB-MDR), which was firstly proposed by Calle et al., and can be applied for detecting gene-gene or gene-environment interactions in genetic studies. The basic principle and characteristics of MB-MDR as well as the operation in R program are briefly summarized. Besides, the detailed procedure of MB-MDR is illustrated by using example. Compared with classical MDR, MB-MDR has similar principle, which merges multi-locus genotypes into a one-dimensional construct and can be used in the study with small sample size. However, there is some difference between MB-MDR and classical MDR. First, it has higher statistical power than MDR and other MDR in the presence of different noises due to the different way the genotype cells merged. Second, compared with MDR, it can deal with all binary and quantitative traits, adjust marginal effects of factors and confounders. MBMDR could be a useful method in the analyses of gene-gene/environment interactions.