Genetics of chronic rhinosinusitis: a primer

Abstract

Modern methods for the study of genetics offer promising new means of exploring complex diseases such as chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Powerful new high-throughput tools extend the capabilities of existing technologies. However, for the inexperienced reader, a lack of familiarity with the techniques used may limit comprehension of the articles and hamper the appreciation of the potential of this area of research. To improve understanding, we present an introduction to research methods in common user language, describing the techniques and applications of each while outlining differences between techniques of study of gene expression and genetic association studies. Online tools for experiment design and data analysis are presented. Practical examples from our work in the genetics of CRS are used to help understand applications for these tools. It is expected that this article will allow physicians to acquire an improved understanding of the uses and limitations of these types of studies as these techniques become increasingly commonplace in our specialty.