Fitting limiting dilution experiments with generalized linear models results in a test of the single-hit Poisson assumption

Abstract

Limiting dilution analysis is a common technique that is used in immunology to estimate accurately the frequency of cells possessing a wide variety of functional activities such as growth, cytotoxicity and production of lymphokines. The reliability of the estimated frequency is usually checked by a standard chi-square (x2) test validating the goodness-of-fit to the single-hit Poisson model (SHPM). We present evidence that modelling limiting dilution data according to a generalized linear model offers an alternative to the standard x2 test for detecting departures from the SHPM, with a considerable increase in power compared to the x2 test.