The use of sequential designs in genome scans for asthma susceptibility loci with affected sib pairs

We use optimized group sequential study designs to analyze data from two ge nome scans (German and CSGA) for asthma susceptibility loci with affected s ib pairs from Genetic Analysis Workshop (GAW) 12. Results are compared with those from a fixed sample design and the sequential probability ratio test (SPRT). The SPRT does not reach significance at any position. Using the fi xed sample design, evidence for linkage is found on chromosomes 6 and 9 in the German and on chromosome I in the CSGA scan. The group sequential desig ns identify the same regions on chromosomes I and 6 with a reduced sample s ize. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.