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BAYESIAN IMPUTATION OF PREDICTIVE VALUES WHEN COVARIATE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AND GOLD STANDARD DIAGNOSIS IS UNAVAILABLE

✍ Scribed by LEONARDO D. EPSTEIN; ALVARO MUÑOZ; DAVID HE


Publisher
John Wiley and Sons
Year
1996
Tongue
English
Weight
1020 KB
Volume
15
Category
Article
ISSN
0277-6715

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✦ Synopsis


We suggest a conceptually simple Bayesian approach to inferences about the conditional probability of a specimen being infection-free given the outcome of a diagnostic test and covariate information. The approach assumes that the infection state of a specimen is not observable but uses the outcomes of a second test in conjuction with those of the first, that is, dual testing data. Dual testing procedures are often employed in clinical laboratories to assure that positive samples are not contaminated or to increase the likelihood of correct diagnoses. Using the CD4 count and a proxy for risk behaviour as covariates, we apply the method to obtain inferences about the conditional probability of an individual being HIV-1 infectionfree given the individual's covariates and a negative outcome with the standard enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assaymestern blotting test for HIV-1 detection. Inferences combine data from two studies where specimens were tested with the standard and with the more sensitive polymerase chain reaction test.