Evidence map›Paper›PMID 20509879›Full record

ArticleBMC medical research methodology2010

Effectiveness of strategies to increase the validity of findings from association studies: size vs. replication.

Rolf Weitkunat, Etienne Kaelin, Grégory Vuillaume, Gerd Kallischnigg

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medical research methodology, 2010. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Interactions Among Polymorphisms of Susceptibility Loci for Alzheimer's Disease or Depressive Disorder.Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research · 2018
    Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Rolf WeitkunatDepartment of Biostatistics & Epidemiology, R&D, Philip Morris International, Neuchâtel, Switzerland. rolf.weitkunat@pmintl.com
Etienne Kaelin
Grégory Vuillaume
Gerd Kallischnigg

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe capacity of multiple comparisons to produce false positive findings in genetic association studies is abundantly clear. To address this issue, the concept of false positive report probability (FPRP) measures "the probability of no true association between a genetic variant and disease given a statistically significant finding". This concept involves the notion of prior probability of an association between a genetic variant and a disease, making it difficult to achieve acceptable levels for the FPRP when the prior probability is low. Increasing the sample size is of limited efficiency to improve the situation.

methodsTo further clarify this problem, the concept of true report probability (TRP) is introduced by analogy to the positive predictive value (PPV) of diagnostic testing. The approach is extended to consider the effects of replication studies. The formula for the TRP after k replication studies is mathematically derived and shown to be only dependent on prior probability, alpha, power, and number of replication studies.

resultsCase-control association studies are used to illustrate the TRP concept for replication strategies. Based on power considerations, a relationship is derived between TRP after k replication studies and sample size of each individual study. That relationship enables study designers optimization of study plans. Further, it is demonstrated that replication is efficient in increasing the TRP even in the case of low prior probability of an association and without requiring very large sample sizes for each individual study.

conclusionsTrue report probability is a comprehensive and straightforward concept for assessing the validity of positive statistical testing results in association studies. By its extension to replication strategies it can be demonstrated in a transparent manner that replication is highly effective in distinguishing spurious from true associations. Based on the generalized TRP method for replication designs, optimal research strategy and sample size planning become possible.

Indexed as

False Positive ReactionsCase-Control StudiesGenetic Predisposition to DiseaseGenetic TechniquesHumansReproducibility of ResultsSample Size

Identifiers

PMID20509879
PMCPMC2896945

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