Statistical Methods for Unusual Count Data: Examples From Studies of Microchimerism.

ABSTRACT: Natural acquisition of small amounts of foreign cells or DNA, referred to as microchimerism, occurs primarily through maternal-fetal exchange during pregnancy. Microchimerism can persist long-term and has been associated with both beneficial and adverse human health outcomes. Quantitative microchimerism data present challenges for statistical analysis, including a skewed distribution, excess zero values, and occasional large values. Methods for comparing microchimerism levels across groups while controlling for covariates are not well established. We compared statistical models for quantitative microchimerism values, applied to simulated data sets and 2 observed data sets, to make recommendations for analytic practice. Modeling the level of quantitative microchimerism as a rate via Poisson

SUBMITTER: Guthrie KA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5141948 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature