Abstract
In order to evaluate the statistical properties of the variance components method implemented in SOLAR and GENEHUNTER2, the type I error rate, power and estimated size of modelled effects were determined using computer simulation. Results suggested that the type I error rate was quite conservative when the variance was completely due to random effects. However, when either a polygenic effect or an unlinked single locus component effect was included in the generating models the type I error rate was closer to the nominal level. The size of the polygenic or single locus effect appeared to influence the type I error rate. Results suggested that the variance components method underestimated the variance attributed to a single locus effect and overestimated the variance attributed to a polygenic effect in the models considered regardless of the source of variation.
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Acknowledgements
We thank three anonymous reviewers for insightful comments. This work was supported in part by Cigarette Restitution Fund of State of Maryland, NCI grant R03 CA85135-01 and NIH grant AG16992.
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Shugart, Y., O'Connell, J. & Wilson, A. An evaluation of the variance components approach: type I error, power and size of the estimated effect. Eur J Hum Genet 10, 133–136 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejhg.5200772
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejhg.5200772
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