To our knowledge, this is the first genome-wide eQTL study in Asian subjects that examined the association of SNPs with expression levels in whole blood. The genome-wide investigation uncovered 1,153 SNPs affecting gene expression levels in human whole blood. Although the number of eQTL regions identified in the current study was relatively small, the likelihood of false positives is low because of the strict correction procedures for multiple testing and exclusion of SNPs with potential cross-hybridization or SNP-in-probe effects.
