The phrase "a borderline reduction of" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a slight or minimal decrease in something, often in a context where the change is significant but not drastic.
Example: "The study revealed a borderline reduction of symptoms in patients after the new treatment was administered."
Alternatives: "a slight decrease in" or "a minimal reduction of".
Summary statistics estimated from results presented in the GITSG trial paper (Kalser and Ellenberg, 1985) showed a borderline reduction in the risk of death with chemoradiation of 46% (HR=0.54, 95% CI: 0.27, 1.05), more in line with the EORTC results (Table 3).
A systematic review of the first three trials comparing CTG+ST monitoring with conventional CTG showed that the former significantly decreases the rates of fetal blood sampling, neonatal encephalopathy and operative delivery, and is associated with a borderline reduction in the incidence of umbilical artery metabolic acidosis [ 10].
We also found a borderline reduction in the Mini-Mental State Examination.
Based on six trials, there was a borderline reduction in overall mortality in the IVIG group (RR 0.63; 95% CI 0.40-1.00).
In contrast, treatment with pravastatin alone was associated with a borderline reduction in bone volume density, and treatment with L-4F plus pravastatin did not show significant improvements in any of these trabecular characteristics.
No substantial effect of increased risk of ovarian cancer was seen in the respective ovarian cluster regions of each gene and only a borderline significant reduction of breast cancer risk was seen for BRCA2.
ADV + LAM (group 3) treatment also showed a borderline better reduction of 0.761 (Log10 IU/ml) in HBV DNA concentrations compared to ADV monotherapy (p = 0.066) (Table 4).
Evaluation of the doxycycline intervention only revealed a borderline-significant reduction of circulating hs-CRP levels (−0.51 μg/ml, P=0.05) and did not affect any of the other markers of systemic inflammation and vascular function.
Inoculation of HM7 cells treated with butyrate (0.1 m M, data not shown) into nude mice induced a more borderline reduction in liver nodule formation (256±98 in control to 190±25 in butyrate treated, 25% reduction).
A combined analysis of these trials showed that early BCG was associated with a borderline significant reduction in infant mortality of 21%95%CI -2CI -2%%; 39 %), and a 48%95%95 % CI: 18 %; 67%%) reduction in neonatal mortality, before most children in the control group received BCG [ 10].
