A priori estimation of accuracy and of the number of wells to be employed in limiting dilution assays

J.G. Chaui-Berlinck; J.A.M. Barbuto

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(Reference retrieved automatically from SciELO through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

A priori estimation of accuracy and of the number of wells to be employed in limiting dilution assays

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Author(s):	J.G. Chaui-Berlinck ^[1] ; J.A.M. Barbuto ^[2] Total Authors: 2
Affiliation:	^[1] Universidade de São Paulo ^[2] Universidade de São Paulo - Brasil Total Affiliations: 2
Document type:	Journal article
Source:	Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research; v. 33, n. 8, p. 937-947, 2000-08-00.
Abstract
The use of limiting dilution assay (LDA) for assessing the frequency of responders in a cell population is a method extensively used by immunologists. A series of studies addressing the statistical method of choice in an LDA have been published. However, none of these studies has addressed the point of how many wells should be employed in a given assay. The objective of this study was to demonstrate how a researcher can predict the number of wells that should be employed in order to obtain results with a given accuracy, and, therefore, to help in choosing a better experimental design to fulfill one's expectations. We present the rationale underlying the expected relative error computation based on simple binomial distributions. A series of simulated in machina experiments were performed to test the validity of the a priori computation of expected errors, thus confirming the predictions. The step-by-step procedure of the relative error estimation is given. We also discuss the constraints under which an LDA must be performed. (AU)

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