From the Microscopic Sweat Gland to Large Datasets: The Power of Quantitative Traits in Dermatology

Sweat gland density (SGD) is a cutaneous trait that varies naturally within and across populations and also contributes to disease pathologies. In their recent article in Journal of Investigative Dermatology, Chen et al. (2024) report a GWAS of SGD that illustrates how genetic studies of quantitative skin traits provide an efficient method for determining the molecular basis of dermatologic diseases. This work also provides an opportunity to highlight the many modalities available to collect quantitative data about skin features that have relevance to cutaneous diseases.

Source: Journal of Investigative Dermatology - April 25, 2024 Category: Dermatology Authors: Olivia D. Perez, Eric R. Tkaczyk, Lynn Petukhova Tags: Commentary Source Type: research