The study of nevi in British twins: study design and description of the data set

Development and Representativeness of a Large Population-Based Cohort of Native Californian Twins

We have established a large cohort of twins to facilitate studies of the role of genetics and environment in the development of disease. The cohort has been derived from all multiple births occurring in California between 1908–82 (256,616 in total). We report here on our efforts to contact these twins and their completion of a detailed 16 page risk factor questionnaire. Addresses of the individuals were obtained by linking the birth records with the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) roster of licensees. To date this has been completed for twins born between 1908 and 1972 (200,589 individuals). The linkage has revealed 112,468 matches and, because of less complete DMV records in some years, was less successful in older females than in younger females and all males. Over 41,000 twins have participated by completing the questionnaire. Based on estimates of numbers of individuals receiving a questionnaire, we estimate our crude response rate to be between 42.2% and 49.6%, highest among females in their 40s (62.8%). We describe the representativeness of the twins in the original birth cohort, those identified by the linkage, and those completing the questionnaire. Compared to the 1990 resident population of California-born resident singletons, the respondents were of similar age, sex, race and residential distribution (for although we were able to locate fewer older females, they had a higher response rate), but were less likely to have been educated for more than 12 years. We provide a brief synopsis of studies nested within this cohort. We also elucidate our plans for expanding the cohort in the near future.

Twin registers in Europe: an overview

This paper is the first in a series that aims to give an overview of existing twin registers worldwide. A short description of 16 registries in nine European countries is presented. These registries have access to over 350 000 pairs and a resource for genetic–epidemiological research.

Malignant skin cancers in the Finnish Twin Cohort: a population-based study, 1976-97

BACKGROUND

Both hereditary and environmental factors are implicated in the aetiology of cutaneous neoplasms. Studies of twins make it possible to estimate the contribution of inherited genes to the development of disease.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the importance of hereditary and environmental factors (including physical environment and lifestyles) in malignant melanoma and malignant nonmelanoma of the skin.

METHODS

The Finnish Twin Cohort, comprising 25 882 adult like-sexed twins with established zygosity, was linked with the Finnish Cancer Registry to identify malignant skin cancers in a prospective follow-up from 1976 to 1997. Standardized incidence ratios were computed based on national rates.

RESULTS

Sixty twins were diagnosed with melanoma and 49 twins with nonmelanoma during the follow-up. The risks of these cancers did not differ from the risk in the population at large. There was only one pair where both twins had a malignant skin cancer (dizygotic male twins both with squamous cell carcinoma).

CONCLUSIONS

The near-total lack of concordance for skin cancer in twin pairs suggests that environmental and not hereditary effects are most important in the causation of malignant skin cancers in a white population with low levels of sun exposure.

Some causes of genotypic and phenotypic discordance in monozygotic twin pairs

The use of the adjective "identical" rather than monozygotic leads to misunderstandings about the biology of monozygotic twinning. Most monozygotic twin pairs are not identical; there may be major discordance for birth weight, genetic disease, and congenital anomalies. These indicate that postzygotic events may lead to the formation of two or more cell clones in the inner cell mass and early embryo that actually stimulate the monozygotic twinning event. There is also evidence that there may be unequal allocation of numbers of cells to the monozygotic twins; this may have widespread implications for the cascade of developmental events during embryogenesis, formation, and vascularization of the placenta. Large-scale zygosity testing at birth could be the template for analysis of twin outcomes and their biologic causes.