Reports Outline Risk Management Findings from Environmental Protection Agency (Dose-Response Modeling with Summary Data from Developmental Toxicity…

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Reports Outline Risk Management Findings from Environmental Protection Agency (Dose-Response Modeling with Summary Data from Developmental Toxicity Studies)

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Weekly News -- Current study results on Risk Management have been published. According to news reporting out of Washington, District of Columbia, by VerticalNews editors, research stated, "Dose-response analysis of binary developmental data (e.g., implant loss, fetal abnormalities) is best done using individual fetus data (identified to litter) or litter-specific statistics such as number of offspring per litter and proportion abnormal. However, such data are not often available to risk assessors."

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from Environmental Protection Agency, "Scientific articles usually present only dose-group summaries for the number or average proportion abnormal and the total number of fetuses. Without litter-specific data, it is not possible to estimate variances correctly (often characterized as a problem of overdispersion, intralitter correlation, or litter effect). However, it is possible to use group summary data when the design effect has been estimated for each dose group. Previous studies have demonstrated useful dose-response and trend test analyses based on design effect estimates using litter-specific data from the same study. This simplifies the analysis but does not help when litter-specific data are unavailable. In the present study, we show that summary data on fetal malformations can be adjusted satisfactorily using estimates of the design effect based on historical data."

According to the news editors, the research concluded: "When adjusted data are then analyzed with models designed for binomial responses, the resulting benchmark doses are similar to those obtained from analyzing litter-level data with nested dichotomous models."

For more information on this research see: Dose-Response Modeling with Summary Data from Developmental Toxicity Studies. Risk Analysis, 2017;37(5):905-917. Risk Analysis can be contacted at: Wiley, 111 River St, Hoboken 07030-5774, NJ, USA. (Wiley-Blackwell - www.wiley.com/; Risk Analysis - onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1539-6924)

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting J.F. Fox, Environmental Protection Agency, Natl Center Environm Assessment, Washington, DC 20460, United States. Additional authors for this research include K.A. Hogan and A. Davis.

Keywords for this news article include: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America, Risk Management, Environmental Protection Agency.