Family, twin, and adoption studies have been essential in defining the genetic epidemiology of bipolar disorder over the past several decades. Family studies have documented that first-degree relatives of affected individuals have an excess risk of the disorder, while twin studies (and to a lesser extent, adoption studies) suggest that genes are largely responsible for this familial aggregation...

BACKGROUND Little information is available about the familial aggregation of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Asian populations. We therefore determined the risk of familial aggregation of IBD among first-degree relatives of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn's disease (CD) in an ethnically distinct Korean population. METHODS Familial aggregation of IBD was evaluated in terms o...

BACKGROUND Birth weight (BW) and family history (FH) of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) have been shown to have an independent association with development of subsequent ESRD. This study was undertaken to determine the effects of BW (low BW suggesting a congenital reduction in functional nephron number) on the observed familial aggregation of ESRD. METHODS Cases were identified from the ESRD N...

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations impair health. The present authors analysed participants in the Boston Early-Onset COPD Study for familial aggregation and propensity for COPD exacerbations. In the present study, two exacerbation outcomes, episodes of cough and phlegm, and frequent exacerbations were analysed with multivariable modelling and generalised estimating equa...

The pathogenesis of cancer in general is influenced by many factors, genetic and environmental. Epidemiological studies demonstrate familial aggregation of cancer in a significant proportion of cases. Many of these familial cancer syndromes contain endocrine hormone-related components. The etiology of endocrine-related cancers is complex, as is that of other cancers. Tumors of endocrine glands ...

Ziff, Schmid, Lewis, and Tanner (1958) first reported that rheumatoid factors reacting with human Cohn fraction II gamma globulins assessed by means of a latex-fixation test (LEI) were aggregated in the families of hospital patients with rheumatoid arthritis. This evidence for familial aggregation was confirmed by Ball and Lawrence (1961) in the urban population sample of Leigh, England, the te...

Background: Patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) often report family members with similar symptoms, but family studies are lacking. We hypothesised that if there is familial aggregation, there would be an increased frequency of IBS in first degree relatives of IBS patients compared with relatives of controls (the patient’s spouse). Methods: A valid self report bowel disease questionnair...

BACKGROUND Mutations in the bone morphogenetic protein receptor 2 (BMPR2) gene can lead to idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH). This study prospectively screened for BMPR2 mutations in a large cohort of PAH-patients and compared clinical features between BMPR2 mutation carriers and non-carriers. METHODS Patients have been assessed by right heart catheterization and genetic testi...