PopGen: population-based recruitment of patients and controls for the analysis of complex genotype-phenotype relationships.

Authors:
Michael Krawczak, Susanna Nikolaus, Huberta von Eberstein, Peter J P Croucher, Nour Eddine El Mokhtari, Stefan Schreiber
Year of publication:
2006
Volume:
9
Issue:
1
Issn:
1422-2795
Journal title abbreviated:
COMMUNITY GENET
Journal title long:
Community genetics
Impact factor:
-1.000
Abstract:
Patient samples used for mapping complex human disease genes are unlikely to be representative of the phenotype spectrum of the respective population as a whole. On the other hand, most ongoing prospective studies are probably too small for evaluating polygenic disease markers.Precise estimates of population-specific genotypic risks can be obtained efficiently through the complete ascertainment of patients in a geographically confined area. The PopGen project uses the most northern part of Germany as a target region for such a pursuit.PopGen currently pursues recruitment, sampling and processing activities in close collaboration with a multitude of clinical partners, covering cardiovascular, neuropsychiatric and environmental diseases.PopGen has successfully established itself as a large-scale genetic epidemiological project of international recognition.