Molecular Epidemiology and Evolution Research Programme

GENETIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS IN COMPLEX DISEASE AND HEALTH-RELATED BEHAVIORS - THE FINNISH TWIN COHORT STUDIES

Project summary:

Background

In a collaborative effort of the Finnish Twin Cohort investigators with investigators at National Public Health Institute and numerous clinical and behavioral scientists from universities in Finland and abroad, we have ongoing studies to identify genetic and environmental determinants of common, complex diseases, and their behavioral risk factors. Multiple measurements of risk factors and morbidity over time form an integral part of all studies, which will permit an assessment of the developmental dynamics of disease risk and the unfolding of behavioral risk factors through adolescence into adulthood.

Databases:

1. Like-sexed twin pairs (13,888 pairs of known zygosity) form the older Twin Cohort. They have participated since 1975 in mail surveys, clinical subsample studies and been followed-up for morbidity using national medical registers; the cohort thus forms a phenotypically rich data base of genetically informative family sets.
2. The older Twin Cohort was expanded in 1996 to include opposite-sex pairs born 1938-1957 (c. 8000 pairs), and thus permit replication and extension of findings based on the like-sexed pairs, and to permit gene by sex by environment analyses can be carried out.
3. Two, new longitudinal studies of adolescent twins and their families funded by the National Institutes of Health,U.S.A. in 1991 and 1994 respectively form a complementary, ongoing study base. Because of the ages currently studied, the primary focus is on behavioral risk factors at present, and will evolve to disease outcomes on follow-up.

1. To identify within the Finnish Twin Cohort, the most informative sibpairs and families for genetic studies of common diseases, with primary emphasis on hypertension, obesity, migraine, coronary heart disease, osteoarthritis, diabetes, bipolar disease & asthma.
2. To analyze gene by environment interaction in well characterized subsets of the cohort.These include studies of disease-based designs, but will also look at the effects of behavioral risk factors such as smoking, alcohol use and physical activity on a wide range of outcomes.
3. To examine genetic and environmental determinants of change and stability of behavioral risk factors and disease risk using multivariate, quantitative genetic models, which can integrate measured gene information.

Jaakko Kaprio, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Public Health, University of Oulu & Co-Director of the Finnish Twin Cohort Study, Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki

Markku Koskenvuo, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Public Health, University of Turku, Turku and responsible Director of the Finnish Twin Cohort Study, Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki

Research group address:

The Finnish Twin Cohort Study
Dept. of Public Health
University of Helsinki
P.O. Box 41 (Mannerheimintie 172)
FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland

Tel: +359-9-1911
Fax: +358-9-19127600
E-mail:Jaakko Kaprio@helsinki.fi
Markku.Koskenvuo@pp.inet.fi

See also project homepage at:

http://kate.pc.helsinki.fi/twin/twinhome.html

Updated

Back to the Front Page

Back to the Molecular Epidemiology Research Programme Home Page