Dataset Information

Parallel multiplicity and error discovery rate (EDR) in microarray experiments.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: In microarray gene expression profiling experiments, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) are detected from among tens of thousands of genes on an array using statistical tests. It is important to control the number of false positives or errors that are present in the resultant DEG list. To date, more than 20 different multiple test methods have been reported that compute overall Type I error rates in microarray experiments. However, these methods share the following dilemma: they have low power in cases where only a small number of DEGs exist among a large number of total genes on the array. RESULTS: This study contrasts parallel multiplicity of objectively related tests against the traditional simultaneousness of subjectively related tests and proposes a new assessment called the Error Discovery Rate (EDR) for evaluating multiple test comparisons in microarray experiments. Parallel multiple tests use only the negative genes that parallel the positive genes to control the error rate; while simultaneous multiple tests use the total unchanged gene number for error estimates. Here, we demonstrate that the EDR method exhibits improved performance over other methods in specificity and sensitivity in testing expression data sets with sequence digital expression confirmation, in examining simulation data, as well as for three experimental data sets that vary in the proportion of DEGs. The EDR method overcomes a common problem of previous multiple test procedures, namely that the Type I error rate detection power is low when the total gene number used is large but the DEG number is small. CONCLUSIONS: Microarrays are extensively used to address many research questions. However, there is potential to improve the sensitivity and specificity of microarray data analysis by developing improved multiple test comparisons. This study proposes a new view of multiplicity in microarray experiments and the EDR provides an alternative multiple test method for Type I error control in microarray experiments.

SUBMITTER: Xu WW

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2955048 | biostudies-literature | 2010

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Parallel multiplicity and error discovery rate (EDR) in microarray experiments.

Xu Wayne Wenzhong WW Carter Clay J CJ

BMC bioinformatics 20100916

<h4>Background</h4>In microarray gene expression profiling experiments, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) are detected from among tens of thousands of genes on an array using statistical tests. It is important to control the number of false positives or errors that are present in the resultant DEG list. To date, more than 20 different multiple test methods have been reported that compute overall Type I error rates in microarray experiments. However, these methods share the following dilemma: ...[more]

PMID: 20846437

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Project description:BackgroundMicroarray technology has enabled the measurement of comprehensive transcriptomic information. However, each data entry may reflect trivial individual differences among samples and also contain technical noise. Therefore, the certainty of each observed difference should be confirmed at earlier steps of the analyses, and statistical tests are frequently used for this purpose. Since microarrays analyze a huge number of genes simultaneously, concerns of multiplicity, i.e. the family wise error rate (FWER) and false discovery rate (FDR), have been raised in testing the data. To deal with these concerns, several compensation methodologies have been proposed, making the tests very conservative to the extent that arbitrary tuning of the threshold has been introduced to relax the conditions. Unexpectedly, however, the appropriateness of the test methodologies, the concerns of multiplicity, and the compensation methodologies have not been sufficiently confirmed.ResultsThe appropriateness was checked by means of coincidence between the methodologies' premises and the statistical characteristics of data found in two typical microarray platforms. As expected, normality was observed in within-group data differences, supporting application of t-test and F-test statistics. However, genes displayed their own tendencies in the magnitude of variations, and the distributions of p-values were rather complex. These characteristics are inconsistent with premises underlying the compensation methodologies, which assume that most of the null hypotheses are true. The evidence also raised concerns about multiplicity. In transcriptomic studies, FWER should not be critical, as analyses at higher levels would not be influenced by a few false positives. Additionally, the concerns for FDR are not suitable for the sharp null hypotheses on expression levels.ConclusionsTherefore, although compensation methods have been recommended to deal with the problem of multiplicity, the compensations are actually inappropriate for transcriptome analyses. Compensations are not only unnecessary, but will increase the occurrence of false negative errors, and arbitrary adjustment of the threshold damages the objectivity of the tests. Rather, the results of parametric tests should be evaluated directly.

Dataset Information

Parallel multiplicity and error discovery rate (EDR) in microarray experiments.

Publications

Parallel multiplicity and error discovery rate (EDR) in microarray experiments.

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