ABSTRACT
The number of genetic meta-analyses has rapidly increased over time, and their nature has changed to reflect changes in the design of genetic studies driven by technological developments. This chapter describes aims, scope, and limitations of different types of genetic meta-analyses. The specific methodological issues encountered in each of them are discussed, and an overview of advantages and disadvantages of different methods available to address them is provided. The chapter focuses on the meta-analysis of genetic association studies, including candidate-gene and hypothesis-free genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and briefly covers the meta-analysis of other types of studies, including genome-wide linkage studies, studies on genetic interactions, and Mendelian randomization studies.
