Predicting human body height from DNA

New study shows that predicting a person's tall stature from DNA is feasible

2013-11-20

(Press-News.org) Contact information: Renate Bayaz
renate.bayaz@springer.com
49-622-148-78531
Springer
Predicting human body height from DNA New study shows that predicting a person's tall stature from DNA is feasible Predicting adult body height from genetic data is helpful in several areas such as pediatric endocrinology and forensic investigations. However, despite large international efforts to catalogue the genes that influence the stature of humans, knowledge on genetic determinants of adult body height is still incomplete. Now DNA-based prediction of taller-than-average body height is feasible, as reported by researchers from the Netherlands and Sweden in an article published in Springer's journal Human Genetics.

In the study led by Prof. Manfred Kayser from the Department of Forensic Molecular Biology at Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, 180 DNA variants previously implicated in normal height variation were tested in a Dutch European sample consisting of 770 extremely tall cases, and over 9,000 normal height control subjects.

Over 90 percent of these DNA variants showed a height effect in the tall people, and for over 40 percent this effect was statistically significant. Predicting tall stature from these 180 DNA variants resulted in an accuracy of 0.75 on a scale from 0.5 (meaning random prediction) to 1.0 (completely accurate prediction).

"Although the achieved DNA-based prediction accuracy for tall stature is still somewhat lower than we previously established for eye color, hair color and age," said Kayser, "I expect that upcoming new knowledge on height genetics will further increase the accuracy in predicting tall stature, and eventually the full range of body height, from DNA".

According to study collaborator Prof. Stenvert Drop from the Erasmus University Medical Center's Department of Pediatrics, "DNA-based prediction of extreme body height is relevant in pediatrics to estimate the expected body height of a child in adulthood, which can assist in considering growth limiting treatment."

Kayser, who previously developed predictive DNA tests for eye color, hair color and age, added, "In forensics, DNA-based prediction of appearance traits such as height, eye color, hair color and age, is useful to find unknown perpetrators whose conventional DNA profiles are not known to the investigating authorities and who thus escape current DNA identification."

### Reference: Liu et al. (2013). Common DNA variants predict tall stature in Europeans. Human Genetics DOI 10.1007/s00439-013-1394-0

The full-text article is available to journalists on request.

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Blood vessel tangles in brain best left alone, study suggests

2013-11-20

Blood vessel tangles in brain best left alone, study suggests University of Edinburgh Patients with a condition that causes blood vessels in the brain to form an abnormal tangle could be helped by the findings of new research. An international patient ...

Linking risk factors and disease origins in breast cancer

2013-11-20

Linking risk factors and disease origins in breast cancer Researchers from the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth have found that epigenetic changes to DNA are associated with aging in disease-free breast tissues and are further altered in breast tumors. Epigenetic ...

IUPUI study: Finding Occam's razor in an era of information overload

2013-11-20

IUPUI study: Finding Occam's razor in an era of information overload INDIANAPOLIS -- How can the actions and reactions of proteins so small or stars so distant they are invisible to the human eye be accurately predicted? How can ...

Magnetic nanoparticles could aid heat dissipation

2013-11-20

Magnetic nanoparticles could aid heat dissipation CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Cooling systems generally rely on water pumped through pipes to remove unwanted heat. Now, researchers at MIT and in Australia have found a way of enhancing heat transfer in such systems ...

Carnegie Mellon computer searches web 24/7 to analyze images and teach itself common sense

2013-11-20

Carnegie Mellon computer searches web 24/7 to analyze images and teach itself common sense NEIL program labels images, learns associations with minimal help from people PITTSBURGH—A computer program called the Never Ending Image Learner (NEIL) is running 24 hours ...

USF researchers show invasive sparrows immune cells sharpen as they spread

2013-11-20

USF researchers show invasive sparrows immune cells sharpen as they spread TAMPA, Fla. (Nov. 20, 2013) - When invasive species move into new areas, they often lose their natural enemies, including the microbes that make them sick. But new research ...

Solar-powered battery woven into fabric overcomes hurdle for 'wearable electronics'

2013-11-20

Solar-powered battery woven into fabric overcomes hurdle for 'wearable electronics' Though some people already seem inseparable from their smartphones, even more convenient, wearable, solar-powered electronics could be on the way soon, woven into clothing ...

Insomnia linked to mortality risk

2013-11-20

Insomnia linked to mortality risk Researchers associate some insomnia symptoms with higher mortality risk in men Boston, MA - Insomnia, the most common sleep disorder, affects up to one-third of the population in the United States. In new findings, ...

Reducing the salt in bread without losing saltiness, thanks to a texture trick

2013-11-20

Reducing the salt in bread without losing saltiness, thanks to a texture trick Want to make bread taste pleasantly salty without adding more salt? Change the bread's texture so it is less dense, say scientists. They report in ACS' Journal of Agricultural ...

Introducing solid foods while continuing to breast feed could prevent child allergies

2013-11-20

Introducing solid foods while continuing to breast feed could prevent child allergies Introducing solid food with breast milk after the 17th week of birth could reduce food allergies in babies, according to University of Southampton research. The research, ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Azacitidine–venetoclax combination outperforms standard care in acute myeloid leukemia patients eligible for intensive chemotherapy

Measurable residual disease shows strong potential as an early indicator of survival in patients with acute myeloid leukemia

Chemotherapy and radiation are comparable as pre-transplant conditioning for patients with b-acute lymphoblastic leukemia who have no measurable residual disease