Maximum identity length contrast: A powerful method for susceptibility gene detection in isolated populations

We report the results of our analysis of the Genetic Analysis Workshop 12 s imulated data set. Focusing on the isolated populations, we compare the eff iciency of a new method, the maximum identity length contrast statistic (MI LC) with the maximum likelihood score (MLS) in a genome screen strategy. MI LC is a method based on the contrast of haplotype identity between transmit ted and nontransmitted haplotypes in trios. It uses information on linkage and association. We found that MILC allows the detection of a risk factor c orresponding to candidate gene I where the MLS fails, though the same popul ation replicates were used. Interestingly, the association between this ris k factor and the disease could not have been detected with the TDT at a gen ome-wide level. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.