Randomization tests for small samples: an application for genetic expression data

Gary L. Gadbury, Grier P. Page, Moonseong Heo, John D. Mountz and David B. Allison

Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series C, 2003, vol. 52, issue 3, 365-376

Abstract: Summary. An advantage of randomization tests for small samples is that an exact P‐value can be computed under an additive model. A disadvantage with very small sample sizes is that the resulting discrete distribution for P‐values can make it mathematically impossible for a P‐value to attain a particular degree of significance. We investigate a distribution of P‐values that arises when several thousand randomization tests are conducted simultaneously using small samples, a situation that arises with microarray gene expression data. We show that the distribution yields valuable information regarding groups of genes that are differentially expressed between two groups: a treatment group and a control group. This distribution helps to categorize genes with varying degrees of overlap of genetic expression values between the two groups, and it helps to quantify the degree of overlap by using the P‐value from a randomization test. Moreover, a statistical test is available that compares the actual distribution of P‐values with an expected distribution if there are no genes that are differentially expressed. We demonstrate the method and illustrate the results by using a microarray data set involving a cell line for rheumatoid arthritis. A small simulation study evaluates the effect that correlated gene expression levels could have on results from the analysis.

Date: 2003
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9876.00410

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bla:jorssc:v:52:y:2003:i:3:p:365-376

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://ordering.onli ... 1111/(ISSN)1467-9876

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series C is currently edited by R. Chandler and P. W. F. Smith

More articles in Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series C from Royal Statistical Society Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Wiley Content Delivery ().