SNPs showing association with height could also show association with lung function measures because of incomplete adjustment for height, or because of SNP effects on skeletal growth with consequences for both height and lung function. The 4q31 locus near HHIP has shown convincing association with height33. An association was recently reported between height and rs185819 at 6p21 (ref. 34). Although this association signal was broad, reflecting the extended LD across this region of the MHC, rs185819 was in weak LD (r2 = 0.069) with rs2070600 (the sentinel SNP we reported for FEV1/FVC in AGER). These findings leave open the possibility of shared genetic determinants of growth of pulmonary function and height, but they do not suggest that our findings are primarily accounted for by inadequate adjustment for height.
