Meta-analysis of Quantitative Pleiotropic Traits for Next-Generation Sequencing with Multivariate Functional Linear Models

Abstract

To analyze next-generation sequencing data, multivariate functional linear models are developed for a meta-analysis of multiple studies to connect genetic variant data to multiple quantitative traits adjusting for covariates. The goal is to take the advantage of both meta-analysis and pleiotropic analysis in order to improve power and to carry out a unified association analysis of multiple studies and multiple traits of complex disorders. The proposed methods are applied to analyze lipid traits in eight European cohorts. The proposed methods can be applied to studies that have individual genotype data.