You Might Want to Take Your Genetics Test With a Grain of Salt

DooKey

DooKey

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According to a new study those commercial genetics tests that are all the rage now in TV commercials might not be as accurate as you'd think. The results of the study show that 40% of the direct-to-customer test results are false-positives. So if you're Elizabeth Warren, the test that showed you had some Native American in you, could have been inaccurate. The bottom line is you should always get clinical confirmation testing for anything that comes back that isn't good news.

Our results demonstrate the importance of confirming DTC raw data variants in a clinical laboratory that is well versed in both complex variant detection and classification.
 
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Anyone who has seen the precision demanded of the chain of evidence in DNA cases would know that a shitty lab in Bumfucklestan is not going to manage anything like that standard to avoid contamination. Certainly not for your measly 150 Kopeks.

Even accurate results aren't the be all end all. It turns out that your lifestyle has a huge effect on your quality of life.

Hoodathunk?
 
Someone was just telling me today about these tests.. I thought the same thing... Send my DNA to someone? No thanks. Who knows what they could use it for in the future.. just my thoughts on that.
 
I am who I am and taking this kind of test, even if it is accurate, is not going to change any thing. So might as well skip it.
 
I figured these test we're back and inaccurate. I hate how people make such a big fucking deal about their heritage. I was born in another country but moved here when I was 4. I am American gods damn it but people still lump me with my country of origin. I never had any interest of where I came from.
 
zkostik said:
And also pay like $200. Most people don't read the fine print either where these companies collect data and can use your DNA data as they see fit.
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Thats the thing that kills me too, you have to pay them for sub-par results and they now have your DNA in a database which may or may not be the most secure.
 
Briefly looking through the report a couple of interesting notes I saw.

Nearly all of the individuals in this study were female (91.8%)
As shown in Table 1, the vast majority of variants occurred in cancer susceptibility genes (87.8%)
Eight variants in five genes (ATM, BRCA1, BRCA2, COL3A1, and COL5A1) were designated with the “increased risk” classification in DTC raw data or by a third-party interpretation service. These variants are classified as benign at Ambry as well as at several other clinical laboratories.

That last one is hit on a few different times in the article, it seems most of Direct To Consumer DNA people (23 and me, ancestry.com etc) don't interpret those genes for you now (especially after FDA regulation,) but will give you the raw data that you can then send to a 3rd party company to interpret for you. The DTC companies before FDA regulation and the 3rd party services appear to be the ones generating the 40% error. So I think it's important to try to understand where the grain of salt should go. I think the implication is that the DTC companies after FDA regulation give you sane interpretations, but if you take the raw data to the wrong 3rd party they will tell you those 5 genes may be an issue when they are not. Also this study was 91.8% females.
 
SomeoneElse said:
Thats the thing that kills me too, you have to pay them for sub-par results and they now have your DNA in a database which may or may not be the most secure.
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Out of curiosity, what good would that DNA be?

If you're talking the data from your DNA, someone might ... fuck if I know make a password out of your dna clusters?

If they physically keep your DNA some drug company might make some drug to (whatever)? Because news flash that has already happened, and it's been happening long before 23 & Me was a thing.
 
These services are using you as a product by gaining access to a large DNA database, which is pretty valuable. At $200 they're certainly not sequencing the whole exome (protein encoding regions of the genome), much less the whole genome for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and not at a read depth where they can make calls on rare variants. The Nature article really covers its bases (pun intended! :D), so if you have the patience and willingness to spend a good amount of time learning some of the terminology on Wikipedia, it's worth the read.

Insofar as privacy about one's DNA, there's the whole HIPAA thing for one, and may show somatic risk factors for a number of diseases that may (in the future) make buying insurance difficult and have employment issues as well.
 
Twisted Kidney said:
Anyone who has seen the precision demanded of the chain of evidence in DNA cases would know that a shitty lab in Bumfucklestan is not going to manage anything like that standard to avoid contamination. Certainly not for your measly 150 Kopeks.

Even accurate results aren't the be all end all. It turns out that your lifestyle has a huge effect on your quality of life.

Hoodathunk?
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LOL yeah, i'd be surprised if they where even sequencing MY DNA.. and not some other DNA
 
Master_shake_ said:
who in the fuck would voluntarily send DNA to anyone?

i just don't get it.
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I send DNA to people I meet all the time. Giggity.


Twisted Kidney said:
Anyone who has seen the precision demanded of the chain of evidence in DNA cases would know that a shitty lab in Bumfucklestan is not going to manage anything like that standard to avoid contamination. Certainly not for your measly 150 Kopeks.
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I think 23&Me does it in Texas. There's a YouTube video by the Smarter Everyday guy who toured the lab. If I recall, their "advancement" was a sensor chip that had something like 600k individual sensors tuned to bind to certain genes. I think it's literally a 1/0 approach (gene present = 1). I can't recall exactly. It allows them to process the samples in quick order. The rest is software and pattern recognition --> These genes present correlate with X cancer, these genes correlate with Russian heritage. This genetic pattern means you're a moleman.

It's not even the entire gnome. They're looking for specific genes. So I'm not at all surprised to see it might not be accurate.
 
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sfsuphysics said:
Out of curiosity, what good would that DNA be?

If you're talking the data from your DNA, someone might ... fuck if I know make a password out of your dna clusters?

If they physically keep your DNA some drug company might make some drug to (whatever)? Because news flash that has already happened, and it's been happening long before 23 & Me was a thing.
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I guess the difference is now the DNA sequence is now directly tired to your name in the database in the past it may have just been anonymous.
 
It seems pretty accurate. Birth mom was German, birth dad was Hispanic and some European type. 67% European, 26% Mexican. The extra 4% was sub Saharan African and western Asian African.(generic stuff)
I love 23andme. I just wish I would of done it years ago.
 
bigdogchris said:
It's voluntary to throw something into the trash rather than take it with you.
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The point is this: Who would voluntarily send their DNA someplace along with plenty of identifying data?
Random DNA in a tissue in the trash is DNA, but you're not gonna know whose it is, unless the CIA is after you.

Giving your DNA along with identifying information to a private service for whatever fuckery is just god damn stupid.
 
lollerwaffle said:
The point is this: Who would voluntarily send their DNA someplace along with plenty of identifying data?
Random DNA in a tissue in the trash is DNA, but you're not gonna know whose it is, unless the CIA is after you.

Giving your DNA along with identifying information to a private service for whatever fuckery is just god damn stupid.
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It is if your a criminal or plan something criminal. Otherwise, not sure why.
 
motomonkey said:
Well, you do when you join the military, have for a lot of years now.

I'm guessing they needed mine to make a super soldier serum....
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More likely it is so they can figure out which chunks of which corpse are your chunks.
 
I admit that a week or two ago I saw one of those ads on t.v. and the guy was like, I tested 10% native american and the next scene he was in front of a campfire surrounded by dressed dancers and elders. Sure, buddy, sure. I choked a little on my breakfast at the time.
 
I won't even use the fingerprint or facial recognition on my phone because I'm sure that's getting uploaded to somewhere I would prefer it not be.
 
lostin3d said:
I admit that a week or two ago I saw one of those ads on t.v. and the guy was like, I tested 10% native american and the next scene he was in front of a campfire surrounded by dressed dancers and elders. Sure, buddy, sure. I choked a little on my breakfast at the time.
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Yeah, people don't realize that it is more probable it is Mexican.
 
Definitely leaning towards disorder. The desire to give up your most intimate physical and individual details to a possibly a unregulated, for-profit entity, in desperate hope of filling a deep need without any thought of consequences to whom it was given too. At least with a one night stand, outside of the take home of an STD, you get the pleasure of 'I got some'. With this DNA stuff, it's simply I paid, I gave, and was half lied too. Seriously like paying a hooker, she smiles and says I love you, your special, then leaves.
 
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