Genetic Epidemiology, Translational Neurogenomics, Psychiatric Genetics and Statistical Genetics Laboratories investigate the pattern of disease in families, particularly identical and non-identical twins, to assess the relative importance of genes and environment in a variety of important health problems.
QIMR Home Page
GenEpi Home Page
About GenEpi
Publications
Contacts
Research
Staff Index
Collaborators
Software Tools
Computing Resources
Studies
Search
GenEpi Intranet
PMID
17065484
TITLE
Heritability of refractive error and ocular biometrics: the Genes in Myopia (GEM) twin study.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE NlmCategory: OBJECTIVE
A classic twin study was undertaken to assess the contribution of genes and environment to the development of refractive errors and ocular biometrics in a twin population.
METHODS NlmCategory: METHODS
A total of 1224 twins (345 monozygotic [MZ] and 267 dizygotic [DZ] twin pairs) aged between 18 and 88 years were examined. All twins completed a questionnaire consisting of a medical history, education, and zygosity. Objective refraction was measured in all twins, and biometric measurements were obtained using partial coherence interferometry.
RESULTS NlmCategory: RESULTS
Intrapair correlations for spherical equivalent and ocular biometrics were significantly higher in the MZ than in the DZ twin pairs (P < 0.05), when refraction was considered as a continuous variable. A significant gender difference in the variation of spherical equivalent and ocular biometrics was found (P < 0.05). A genetic model specifying an additive, dominant, and unique environmental factor that was sex limited was the best fit for all measured variables. Heritability of spherical equivalents of 88% and 75% were found in the men and women, respectively, whereas, that of axial length was 94% and 92%, respectively. Additive genetic effects accounted for a greater proportion of the variance in spherical equivalent, whereas the variance in ocular biometrics, particularly axial length was explained mostly by dominant genetic effects.
CONCLUSIONS NlmCategory: CONCLUSIONS
Genetic factors, both additive and dominant, play a significant role in refractive error (myopia and hypermetropia) as well as in ocular biometrics, particularly axial length. The sex limitation ADE model (additive genetic, nonadditive genetic, and environmental components) provided the best-fit genetic model for all parameters.
DATE PUBLISHED
2006 Nov
HISTORY
PUBSTATUS PUBSTATUSDATE
pubmed 2006/10/27 09:00
medline 2006/12/12 09:00
entrez 2006/10/27 09:00
AUTHORS
NAME COLLECTIVENAME LASTNAME FORENAME INITIALS AFFILIATION AFFILIATIONINFO
Dirani M Dirani Mohamed M Centre for Eye Research Australia, University of Melbourne, 32 Gisborne Street, East Melbourne 3002, Australia. m.dirani@pgrad.unimelb.edu.au
Chamberlain M Chamberlain Matthew M
Shekar SN Shekar Sri N SN
Islam AF Islam Amirul F M AF
Garoufalis P Garoufalis Pam P
Chen CY Chen Christine Y CY
Guymer RH Guymer Robyn H RH
Baird PN Baird Paul N PN
INVESTIGATORS
JOURNAL
VOLUME: 47
ISSUE: 11
TITLE: Investigative ophthalmology & visual science
ISOABBREVIATION: Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci.
YEAR: 2006
MONTH: Nov
DAY:
MEDLINEDATE:
SEASON:
CITEDMEDIUM: Print
ISSN: 0146-0404
ISSNTYPE: Print
MEDLINE JOURNAL
MEDLINETA: Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci
COUNTRY: United States
ISSNLINKING: 0146-0404
NLMUNIQUEID: 7703701
PUBLICATION TYPE
PUBLICATIONTYPE TEXT
Journal Article
Twin Study
COMMENTS AND CORRECTIONS
GRANTS
GENERAL NOTE
KEYWORDS
MESH HEADINGS
DESCRIPTORNAME QUALIFIERNAME
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Biometry
Diseases in Twins genetics
Female genetics
Humans genetics
Interferometry genetics
Light genetics
Male genetics
Middle Aged genetics
Models, Genetic genetics
Quantitative Trait, Heritable genetics
Questionnaires genetics
Refractive Errors genetics
Twins, Dizygotic genetics
Twins, Monozygotic genetics
SUPPLEMENTARY MESH
GENE SYMBOLS
CHEMICALS
OTHER ID's