This study also features several strengths. First, this study was built on strong existing support for an important role of this gene cluster, enabling the efforts to be focused on characterizing the associations in the region. Second, this project began with multiple discussions by all participants about the goals for the study, after which a specific analytical plan was developed to test carefully defined hypotheses, thereby minimizing multiple testing. Third, the sample sizes are substantial and therefore have allowed us to separate the effects of unique loci in a manner not otherwise possible.
