[The application of counter-matching design in epidemiological research].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the application of counter-matching design in epidemiological research.


METHODS
Through elaboration of the study about gene-environment interactions in the etiology of breast cancer, methodology regarding counter-matching design and statistic methods was introduced.


RESULTS
This design improved the potential for detecting gene-environment interactions for diseases when both gene mutations and the environmental exposures of interest were rare in the general population.


CONCLUSIONS
Counter-matching appearsed to be more appropriate than most traditional epidemiologic methods for the study of interactions involving rare factors.
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China.
Xiao-yun
XY
Hu
Jian-hua
JH
Wang
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000532:radiotherapy; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male