Abstract
A population-based sample of 806 monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs and 553 dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs in the Mid-Atlantic Twin Registry has been analyzed. Since MZ twins are genetically identical (assuming no somatic mutations occur) and DZ twins, like non-twin siblings, share an average of half of their genes, the comparison of disease concordance between MZ and DZ twins can be used to test the degree of genetic involvement in the development of a particular trait. We observed a greater proband concordance rate among MZ twins relative to DZ twins for a number of diseases ([difference (95% confidence interval)] for self-reported asthma [0.33 (0.22-0.44)], hay fever [0.20(0.14-0.26)], eczema [0.13 (0.04-0.22)], diabetes [0.18 (0.01-0.35)], hypertension [0.13 (0.04-0.22)], obesity [0.10 (0.0-0.20)], depression [0.30 (0.21-0.39)], and anxiety [0.16 (0.06-0.26)]). The concordance rates among twin/non-twin sibling pairs were similar to those among DZ twins across all the diseases under investigation ([differences (95% confidence intervals] ranging from [0.01 (-0.07-0.09)] to [0.09 (0.0-0.18)]) in 410 families with data available for both twin members and at least one of the non-twin siblings. The atopic triad (asthma, hay fever, eczema), and anxiety and depression had study population prevalence rates similar to the proband concordance rates in DZ twins; whereas all the syndrome X diseases (diabetes, hypertension, obesity) had higher proband concordance rates among DZ twins relative to their study population prevalences. The present study demonstrates the utility of self-report data in a large population-based sample and is the first to simultaneously study the genetic influences on multiple disease clusters using a twin registry. It confirms previous findings from single disease studies of a significant genetic influence on the risk of each disease in question, and supports the hypothesis that common genetic mechanisms may underlie each disease cluster.
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Huang, W., Maier, W., Murelle, L. et al. Concordance among monozygotic and dizygotic twins from a population-based sample for self-reported atopic triad, syndrome x, and psychiatric conditions. Genet Med 2, 79 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1097/00125817-200001000-00098
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/00125817-200001000-00098
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