Publications of Dora Melicher
The Hungarian Twin Registry Update: Turning From a Voluntary to a Population-Based Registry. Twin Research and Human Genetic. 2019;22:561-6.
The Hungarian Twin Registry Update: Turning From a Voluntary to a Population-Based Registry
Since our last report on the voluntary Hungarian Twin Registry (HTR) in 2012, the number of pairs or multiplets included increased from 310 to 1044. Efforts to turn the registry into a population-based one are on the way. Nearly 128,000 twins living in Hungary (98,500 adults) will be mailed information on how to register on the new HTR website. Twins will be asked to invite their spouses and immediate family members. Meanwhile, strong cooperation through exchange programs has been developed with other foreign twin registries. Current research focuses on radiogenomics, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, gut microbiome as well as basic molecular research and yielded new awards and further publications.
Within family transmission of secondhand smoke sensitivity and smoking attitude. Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine. 2014;21(4):771-5.
Within family transmission of secondhand smoke sensitivity and smoking attitude
Introduction and objective: The role of genetic factors in nicotine dependence is well understood, but no information is available on the inheritability of second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure sensitivity and their co-variance. Material and Methods: 186 adult same-gender pairs of twin (146 monozygotic, 40 dizygotic; 44±17 years±SD) completed a questionnaire. Results: The model showed a significant role of unshared environmental factors influencing the co-variance between smoking habit and SHS sensitivity (re=-0.191, 95% CI, -0.316 to -0.056, or the total phenotypic correlation of rph=-0.406, p<0.001) without evidence for genetic covariation. Age, gender and country-adjusted analysis indicated 51.5% heritability for smoking habit (95% confidence interval/CI/, 6.2 to 89.8%), 49.7% for SHS sensitivity (95%CI, 19.1–72.0%), 35.5% for general opinions on SHS exposure in restaurants/cafés (95%CI, 10.7–58.6%), and 16.9% in pubs/bars (95%CI, 0.0–49.0%). Conclusions: The co-variance between SHS sensitivity and smoking habits is driven mainly by the unshared environment. SHS sensitivity is moderately inheritable. The considerable influence of environmental factors on general opinions on SHS exposure in designated indoor public venues emphasizes the importance of smoking bans and health behaviour interventions at the individual level in developing an anti-smoking attitude.