Accounting for heterogeneity due to environmental sources in meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies.

ABSTRACT: Meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) across diverse populations offers power gains to identify loci associated with complex traits and diseases. Often heterogeneity in effect sizes across populations will be correlated with genetic ancestry and environmental exposures (e.g. lifestyle factors). We present an environment-adjusted meta-regression model (env-MR-MEGA) to detect genetic associations by adjusting for and quantifying environmental and ancestral heterogeneity between populations. In simulations, env-MR-MEGA has similar or greater association power than MR-MEGA, with notable gains when the environmental factor has a greater correlation with the trait than ancestry. In our analysis of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in ~19,000 individuals across twelve sex-stra

SUBMITTER: Wang S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11564974 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature