The next question is whether the top SNPs from the GxE associations from this GWGEI model correspond to any of the models described in Fig. 1. The estimates from the main and interactive effects for the top six SNPs identified in this model are plotted in Fig. 3. As the differential susceptibility model anticipates, the bulk of these top associations are all instances in which the allele that confers a risk of increased BMI for one group is related to decreased BMI for the other. For example, the first SNP in Fig. 3 (rs12518350) produced a main genetic effect of –1.77 (p < 8.6E-05) and a GxE effect of 2.72 (p < 5.8E-06). This translates to a 1.77 unit decrease in BMI for each additional allele for those without a college degree and a .95 unit increase for those with a college degree.
