The UK Adult Twin Registry (TwinsUK)

Tim D. Spector; Frances M. K. Williams

doi:10.1375/twin.9.6.899

Abstract

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The UK Adult Twin Registry was started in 1993 and consists of approximately 10,000 monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) adult Caucasian twins aged 16 to 85 years from all over the United Kingdom, plus some parents and siblings. It now incorporates previous twin registries from the Institute of Psychiatry and Aberdeen University. This is a volunteer sample recruited by successive media campaigns without selecting for particular diseases or traits. All twins receive a series of detailed disease and environmental questionnaires. The majority of twins have been assessed in detail clinically at several time points for several hundred phenotypes related to common diseases or intermediate traits. The focus to date has been primarily in 5 areas — cardiovascular, metabolic, musculoskeletal, ophthalmologic diseases as well as the aging process. Over 3000 DZ twins have had a 10cM genome-wide scan performed and 5000 twins tagged for over 200 candidate genes allowing both linkage and association studies. The resource has led to many successful and innovative research projects particularly in common age-related diseases, and has led to collaborations with over 80 groups worldwide.

Crossref Citations

This article has been cited by the following publications. This list is generated based on data provided by Crossref.

Norbury, Timothy A. MacGregor, Alex J. Urwin, Jane Spector, Tim D. and McMahon, Stephen B. 2007. Heritability of responses to painful stimuli in women: a classical twin study. Brain, Vol. 130, Issue. 11, p. 3041.

De Moor, Marleen H. M. Spector, Tim D. Cherkas, Lynn F. Falchi, Mario Hottenga, Jouke Jan Boomsma, Dorret I. and De Geus, Eco J. C. 2007. Genome-Wide Linkage Scan for Athlete Status in 700 British Female DZ Twin Pairs. Twin Research and Human Genetics, Vol. 10, Issue. 6, p. 812.

Keskitalo, Kaisu Tuorila, Hely Spector, Tim D Cherkas, Lynn F Knaapila, Antti Silventoinen, Karri and Perola, Markus 2007. Same genetic components underlie different measures of sweet taste preference. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 86, Issue. 6, p. 1663.

Teucher, Birgit Skinner, Jane Skidmore, Paula M. L. Cassidy, Aedin Fairweather-Tait, Susan J. Hooper, Lee Roe, Mark A. Foxall, Robert Oyston, Sarah L. Cherkas, Lynn F. Perks, Ursula C. Spector, Tim D. and MacGregor, Alex J. 2007. Dietary Patterns and Heritability of Food Choice in a UK Female Twin Cohort. Twin Research and Human Genetics, Vol. 10, Issue. 5, p. 734.

Knaapila, Antti Tuorila, Hely Silventoinen, Karri Keskitalo, Kaisu Kallela, Mikko Wessman, Maija Peltonen, Leena Cherkas, Lynn F. Spector, Tim D. and Perola, Markus 2007. Food neophobia shows heritable variation in humans. Physiology & Behavior, Vol. 91, Issue. 5, p. 573.

Kyriakou, Theodosios Collins, Laura J. Spencer-Jones, Nicola J. Malcolm, Claire Wang, Xiaoling Snieder, Harold Swaminathan, Ramasamyiyer Burling, Keith A. Hart, Deborah J. Spector, Tim D. and O’Dell, Sandra D. 2008. Adiponectin gene ADIPOQ SNP associations with serum adiponectin in two female populations and effects of SNPs on promoter activity. Journal of Human Genetics, Vol. 53, Issue. 8, p. 718.

Harris, Juliette M. Cherkas, Lynn F. Kato, Bernet S. Heiman, Julia R. and Spector, Tim D. 2008. Normal Variations in Personality are Associated with Coital Orgasmic Infrequency in Heterosexual Women: A Population-Based Study. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, Vol. 5, Issue. 5, p. 1177.

Knaapila, Antti Tuorila, Hely Silventoinen, Karri Wright, Margaret J. Kyvik, Kirsten O. Cherkas, Lynn F. Keskitalo, Kaisu Hansen, Jonathan Martin, Nicholas G. Spector, Tim D. Kaprio, Jaakko and Perola, Markus 2008. Genetic and Environmental Contributions to Perceived Intensity and Pleasantness of Androstenone Odor: An International Twin Study. Chemosensory Perception, Vol. 1, Issue. 1, p. 34.

Chinappen-Horsley, Usha Blake, Glen M. Fogelman, Ignac Kato, Bernet Ahmadi, Kourosh R. Spector, Tim D. and Gibson, Greg 2008. Quantitative Trait Loci for Bone Lengths on Chromosome 5 Using Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry Imaging in the Twins UK Cohort. PLoS ONE, Vol. 3, Issue. 3, p. e1752.

Wallace, Chris Newhouse, Stephen J. Braund, Peter Zhang, Feng Tobin, Martin Falchi, Mario Ahmadi, Kourosh Dobson, Richard J. Marçano, Ana Carolina B. Hajat, Cother Burton, Paul Deloukas, Panagiotis Brown, Morris Connell, John M. Dominiczak, Anna Lathrop, G. Mark Webster, John Farrall, Martin Spector, Tim Samani, Nilesh J. Caulfield, Mark J. and Munroe, Patricia B. 2008. Genome-wide Association Study Identifies Genes for Biomarkers of Cardiovascular Disease: Serum Urate and Dyslipidemia. The American Journal of Human Genetics, Vol. 82, Issue. 1, p. 139.

Williams, FMK Cherkas, LF Bertolaccini, ML Murru, V Surdulescu, GL Hughes, GRV Khamashta, MA Spector, TD and MacGregor, AJ 2008. Migraine and Antiphospholipid Antibodies: No Association Found in Migraine-Discordant Monozygotic Twins. Cephalalgia, Vol. 28, Issue. 10, p. 1048.

Goyenechea, Estibaliz Collins, Laura J. Parra, Dolores Liu, Gaifen Snieder, Harold Swaminathan, Ramasamyiyer Spector, Tim D. Martínez, J. Alfredo and O'Dell, Sandra D. 2008. CD36Gene Promoter Polymorphisms Are Associated With Low Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol in Normal Twins and After a Low-Calorie Diet in Obese Subjects. Twin Research and Human Genetics, Vol. 11, Issue. 6, p. 621.

Snieder, H. Wang, X. Shiri-Sverdlov, R. van Vliet-Ostaptchouk, J. V. Hofker, M. H. Perks, U. Spector, T. D. and O’Dell, S. D. 2008. TUB is a candidate gene for late-onset obesity in women. Diabetologia, Vol. 51, Issue. 1, p. 54.

Ge, Dongliang Gooljar, Sakina B. Kyriakou, Theodosios Collins, Laura J. Swaminathan, Ramasamyiyer Snieder, Harold Spector, Tim D. and O'Dell, Sandra D. 2008. Association of Common JAK2 Variants With Body Fat, Insulin Sensitivity and Lipid Profile. Obesity, Vol. 16, Issue. 2, p. 492.

Knaapila, Antti Tuorila, Hely Kyvik, Kirsten O. Wright, Margaret J. Keskitalo, Kaisu Hansen, Jonathan Kaprio, Jaakko Perola, Markus and Silventoinen, Karri 2008. Self‐Ratings of Olfactory Function Reflect Odor Annoyance Rather than Olfactory Acuity. The Laryngoscope, Vol. 118, Issue. 12, p. 2212.

Lundmark, Per E Liljedahl, Ulrika Boomsma, Dorret I Mannila, Heikki Martin, Nicholas G Palotie, Aarno Peltonen, Leena Perola, Markus Spector, Tim D and Syvänen, Ann-Christine 2008. Evaluation of HapMap data in six populations of European descent. European Journal of Human Genetics, Vol. 16, Issue. 9, p. 1142.

Skidmore, Paula M. L. Cassidy, Aedin Swaminathan, Ramasamyiyer Richards, J. Brent Spector, Tim D. and MacGregor, Alex J. 2008. Relation of Birth Weight, Body Mass Index, and Change in Size from Birth to Adulthood to Insulin Resistance in a Female Twin Cohort. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Vol. 93, Issue. 2, p. 516.

Falchi, Mario Wilson, Scott G. Paximadas, Dimitrios Swaminathan, Ramasamyiyer and Spector, Tim D. 2008. Quantitative Linkage Analysis for Pancreatic B-cell Function and Insulin Resistance in a Large Twin Cohort. Diabetes, Vol. 57, Issue. 4, p. 1120.

Anderson, Carl A. Zhu, Gu Falchi, Mario van den Berg, Stéphanie M. Treloar, Susan A. Spector, Timothy D. Martin, Nicholas G. Boomsma, Dorret I. Visscher, Peter M. and Montgomery, Grant W. 2008. A Genome-Wide Linkage Scan for Age at Menarche in Three Populations of European Descent. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Vol. 93, Issue. 10, p. 3965.

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The UK Adult Twin Registry (TwinsUK)

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