Title
Use of Individual-level Covariates to Improve Latent Class Analysis of Trypanosoma cruzi Diagnostic Tests
Date Issued
01 January 2012
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
University of Pennsylvania
Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia
Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia
Johns Hopkins University
University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Publisher(s)
Walter de Gruyter GmbH
Abstract
Statistical methods such as latent class analysis can estimate the sensitivity and specificity of diagnostic tests when no perfect reference test exists. Traditional latent class methods assume a constant disease prevalence in one or more tested populations. When the risk of disease varies in a known way, these models fail to take advantage of additional information that can be obtained by measuring risk factors at the level of the individual. We show that by incorporating complex field-based epidemiologic data, in which the disease prevalence varies as a continuous function of individual-level covariates, our model produces more accurate sensitivity and specificity estimates than previous methods. We apply this technique to several simulated populations and to actual Chagas disease test data from a community near Arequipa, Peru. Results from our model estimate that the first-line enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay has a sensitivity of 78% (95% CI: 62-100%) and a specificity of 100% (95% CI: 99-100%). The confirmatory immunofluorescence assay is estimated to be 73% sensitive (95% CI: 65-81%) and 99% specific (95% CI: 96-100%).
Start page
32
End page
54
Volume
1
Issue
1
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Parasitología
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-84902249584
Source
Epidemiologic Methods
ISSN of the container
21949263
Sponsor(s)
Author Notes: Acknowledgments: We gratefully acknowledge the contributions of Dr. Juan Cornejo del Carpio, Dr. César Naquira, and Fernando Malaga. The Tropical Medicine Research Center (TMRC) Peru working group performed field-based collection of seroprevalence and epidemiologic data as well as laboratory-based diagnostic analyses. The following organizations facilitated the implementation of this study: Ministerio de Salud del Perú (MINSA), Dirección General de Salud de las Personas (DGSP), Estrategia Sanitaria Nacional de Prevención y Control de Enfermedades Metaxénicas y Otras Transmitidas por Vectores (ESNPCEMOTVS), Dirección General de Salud Ambiental (DIGESA); Gobierno Regional de Arequipa; Gerencia Regional de Salud de Arequipa (GRSA); Pan American Health Organization (PAHO); and Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). We thank the communities of Las Dunas y Primavera, Los Laureles, Rio de Janeiro, and Villa La Joya for their participation in this study. Funding: This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (5P50 AI074285-03 and 04, 1K01AI079162-03, 1K01AI079162-04 and 3K01AI079162-02S1 and 03S1 to M.Z.L, 5 T37 MD001427 to S.D.), and the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (Benjamin Kean Fellowship to A.W.T.)
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus