Genetic epistasis analysis using ‘taxonomy3’


‘Taxonomy3’ is a novel mathematical method for the multivariate analysis of complex datasets. It is based on correlations of individualized divergences named Log Bayes Factors (LBFs), and their Eigen decomposition. LBFs represent a continuous measure of information each subject and variable provide pertaining to the overall case/control distinction. This framework offers a unique opportunity to conduct large scale interaction analyses and measure the epistasis level between markers. We applied this method to 51 flucloxacillin induced liver injury cases contributed by DILIGEN (UK) and 282 country- and gender-matched controls from the Population Reference Sample resource (POPRES). Subjects were genotyped with the Illumina 1M-Duo BeadChip. Results show significant novel markers that were not revealed by the published univariate analysis of main effects. This confirms the benefits of this new method, and the importance of assessing genetic epistasis in complex disorders.

In the 2nd International BIO-SI Workshop on Statistical Modelling