A powerful and data-adaptive test for rare-variant-based gene-environment interaction analysis.

ABSTRACT: As whole-exome/genome sequencing data become increasingly available in genetic epidemiology research consortia, there is emerging interest in testing the interactions between rare genetic variants and environmental exposures that modify the risk of complex diseases. However, testing rare-variant-based gene-by-environment interactions (GxE) is more challenging than testing the genetic main effects due to the difficulty in correctly estimating the latter under the null hypothesis of no GxE effects and the presence of neutral variants. In response, we have developed a family of powerful and data-adaptive GxE tests, called "aGE" tests, in the framework of the adaptive powered score test, originally proposed for testing the genetic main effects. Using extensive simulations, we show that aGE tes

SUBMITTER: Yang T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6399020 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature