Effect of environmental factors on gene alterations in complex diseases: simulation study using Gene-Environment iNteraction Simulator 2

摘要

The gene alterations and etiological pathway of complexdiseases such as cancer, Down-syndrome, obesity, etc ishighly affected with the interactions between genes andenvironmental factors. To handle a wide variety of complexsituations (such as genes and environmental factors)including certain interactions between variables is poorlyinvestigated, in particular if continuous variables will beinvolved. Simulations with realistic data sets with geneenvironmentinteractions and gene- gene interactionswhich affect the risk of a complex disease are a convenientand useful way to characterize the validity of statisticalmodels.In a previous work [1], we have examined theinteraction between one gene and one environmental factoras a function of time. In the present study, the geneenvironmentiNteraction simulator (GENS2) has beenused to simulate interactions through two genetic and oneenvironmental factor which permit, also, for study thesame effect on epistatic interactions.