Table 3 Parameters and estimated values of the final linear model of the data-subset specific relation of LINE-1 and LUMA assay-based measurements of global DNA methylation. The full model was given as Methylation_LINE1 = (Intersection + θ _{Int, Subset1.. Subset3}) + (Slope × θ _{Slope, Subset1.. Subset3}) × Methylation_LUMA + ε, where Intersection and Slope are structural parameters of the linear model denoted during the fitting as θ ₁ and θ ₁, respectively, θ _{Int,Subset1.. Subset3} and θ _{Slope, Subset1.. Subset3} are data subset specific modulators of the structural parameter values, denoted during the fitting as θ _3..12, and η ₁ and ε accounts for the additive error in the fit of the percent methylation data acquired by means of two different assays. The final model was the result of the model building favoring the best but sparsest model based on goodness-of-fit statistics

Y-intersection (% methylation) = θ ₁

0 (fixed)

–

θ ₃ = θ _Int,Subset1

0 (fixed)

–

θ ₄ = θ _Int,Subset2

9.03 (9.5)

(7.3, 19.9)

θ ₅ = θ _Int,Subset3

71.1 (8.4)

(58.7, 87)

Slope = θ ₂

0.38 (1.1)

(0.32, 0.4)

θ ₆ = θ _{Slope,Subset1}

θ ₆ = θ₇ = 2.68 (0.7)

(2.2, 2.8)

θ ₇ = θ _{Slope,Subset2}

Slope_Subset1,2 = 2.68 · 0.38 = 0.9

θ ₈ = θ _{Slope,Subset3}

0.88 (27.7)

(0.2, 1.3)

Slope_Subset3 = 0.88 · 0.38 = 0.29