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Review
. 2011 Dec;13(6):442-51.
doi: 10.1007/s11906-011-0230-y.

Beyond genome-wide association studies: new strategies for identifying genetic determinants of hypertension

Xiaoling Wang  1 , Bram P Prins, Siim Sõber, Maris Laan, Harold Snieder
Affiliations
Review

Beyond genome-wide association studies: new strategies for identifying genetic determinants of hypertension

Xiaoling Wang et al. Curr Hypertens Rep. 2011 Dec.

Abstract

Genetic linkage and association methods have long been the most important tools for gene identification in humans. These approaches can either be hypothesis-based (i.e., candidate-gene studies) or hypothesis-free (i.e., genome-wide studies). The first part of this review offers an overview of the latest successes in gene finding for blood pressure (BP) and essential hypertension using these DNA sequence-based discovery techniques. We further emphasize the importance of post-genome-wide association study (post-GWAS) analysis, which aims to prioritize genetic variants for functional follow-up. Whole-genome next-generation sequencing will eventually be necessary to provide a more comprehensive picture of all DNA variants affecting BP and hypertension. The second part of this review discusses promising novel approaches that move beyond the DNA sequence and aim to discover BP genes that are differentially regulated by epigenetic mechanisms, including microRNAs, histone modification, and methylation.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
This diagram illustrates how post-GWAS analysis aids the translation of significant GWAS signals into disease mechanisms
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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