Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32770935›Full record

ArticleBMC genetics2020

A novel path-specific effect statistic for identifying the differential specific paths in systems epidemiology.

Hongkai Li, Zhi Geng, Xiaoru Sun, Yuanyuan Yu, Fuzhong Xue

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC genetics, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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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

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Hongkai LiInstitute for Medical Dataology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250000, People's Republic of China. lihongkaiyouxiang@163.com.ORCID 0000-0003-1848-937X
Zhi GengSchool of Mathematical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100000, People's Republic of China.
Xiaoru SunInstitute for Medical Dataology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250000, People's Republic of China.
Yuanyuan YuInstitute for Medical Dataology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250000, People's Republic of China.
Fuzhong XueInstitute for Medical Dataology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250000, People's Republic of China. xuefzh@sdu.edu.cn.

Funding

863 Program 2015AA020507973 program 2015CBB56000National Natural Science Foundation of China 11331011National Natural Science Foundation of China 11771028National Natural Science Foundation of China 81573259National Natural Science Foundation of China 91630314
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBiological pathways play an important role in the occurrence, development and recovery of complex diseases, such as cancers, which are multifactorial complex diseases that are generally caused by mutation of multiple genes or dysregulation of pathways.

resultsWe propose a path-specific effect statistic (PSE) to detect the differential specific paths under two conditions (e.g. case VS. control groups, exposure Vs. nonexposure groups). In observational studies, the path-specific effect can be obtained by separately calculating the average causal effect of each directed edge through adjusting for the parent nodes of nodes in the specific path and multiplying them under each condition. Theoretical proofs and a series of simulations are conducted to validate the path-specific effect statistic. Applications are also performed to evaluate its practical performances. A series of simulation studies show that the Type I error rates of PSE with Permutation tests are more stable at the nominal level 0.05 and can accurately detect the differential specific paths when comparing with other methods. Specifically, the power reveals an increasing trends with the enlargement of path-specific effects and its effect differences under two conditions. Besides, the power of PSE is robust to the variation of parent or child node of the nodes on specific paths. Application to real data of Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM), we successfully identified 14 positive specific pathways in mTOR pathway contributing to survival time of patients with GBM. All codes for automatic searching specific paths linking two continuous variables and adjusting set as well as PSE statistic can be found in supplementary materials. 

conclusionThe proposed PSE statistic can accurately detect the differential specific pathways contributing to complex disease and thus potentially provides new insights and ways to unlock the black box of disease mechanisms.

Indexed as

Computer SimulationEpidemiologic MethodsCausalityGlioblastomaHumansModels, StatisticalSystems BiologyCausal diagram modelCausal inferenceIdentificationPath-specific effect

Identifiers

PMID32770935
PMCPMC7414699

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.