Dear Professor,
I hope this email finds you well.
I recently read your paper, Multi-trait analysis of genome-wide association summary statistics using MTAG, published in Nature Genetics. I found your methodological contribution extremely inspiring and highly relevant to my own work in bioinformatics.
I am writing to you because I am currently working on an analysis and have encountered a methodological question. While reading other studies that used MTAG, I noticed that some researchers analyzed GWAS summary statistics for several highly correlated traits, such as A1, A2, A3, and so on (For example, this may be conceptually similar to multiple highly correlated items in a questionnaire, such as the seven items of the GAD-7 anxiety scale), and then appeared to generate a single integrated trait A. This integrated trait was then used in subsequent downstream analyses.
In your Nature Genetics paper, however, my understanding is that MTAG was applied to three traits, namely depressive symptoms, neuroticism, and subjective well-being, and the output consisted of enhanced summary statistics for each of these three traits, rather than a single combined trait file. This made me wonder whether the kind of single integrated trait used in those other studies can also be generated directly through MTAG.
I would be very grateful if you could kindly clarify whether this is an appropriate use of MTAG, or whether such a single integrated trait is typically constructed by another method. I also noticed that some researchers have asked related questions in the discussion section, and you have already replied to them, but I still found the issue somewhat confusing. That is why I am reaching out directly, and I would sincerely appreciate any advice you may be willing to offer.
Thank you very much for your time and consideration. I wish you continued success in your research and all the best in your life.
Sincerely,
Jinqi Ding
Dear Professor,
I hope this email finds you well.
I recently read your paper, Multi-trait analysis of genome-wide association summary statistics using MTAG, published in Nature Genetics. I found your methodological contribution extremely inspiring and highly relevant to my own work in bioinformatics.
I am writing to you because I am currently working on an analysis and have encountered a methodological question. While reading other studies that used MTAG, I noticed that some researchers analyzed GWAS summary statistics for several highly correlated traits, such as A1, A2, A3, and so on (For example, this may be conceptually similar to multiple highly correlated items in a questionnaire, such as the seven items of the GAD-7 anxiety scale), and then appeared to generate a single integrated trait A. This integrated trait was then used in subsequent downstream analyses.
In your Nature Genetics paper, however, my understanding is that MTAG was applied to three traits, namely depressive symptoms, neuroticism, and subjective well-being, and the output consisted of enhanced summary statistics for each of these three traits, rather than a single combined trait file. This made me wonder whether the kind of single integrated trait used in those other studies can also be generated directly through MTAG.
I would be very grateful if you could kindly clarify whether this is an appropriate use of MTAG, or whether such a single integrated trait is typically constructed by another method. I also noticed that some researchers have asked related questions in the discussion section, and you have already replied to them, but I still found the issue somewhat confusing. That is why I am reaching out directly, and I would sincerely appreciate any advice you may be willing to offer.
Thank you very much for your time and consideration. I wish you continued success in your research and all the best in your life.
Sincerely,
Jinqi Ding