A model to estimate risk of infection with human herpesvirus 8 associated with transfusion from cross-sectional data

Biometrics. 2004 Mar;60(1):249-56. doi: 10.1111/j.0006-341X.2004.00168.x.

Abstract

In cross-sectional studies of infectious diseases, the data typically consist of: age at the time of study, status (presence or absence) of infection, and a chronology of events possibly associated with the disease. Motivated by a study of how human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) is transmitted among children with sickle cell anemia in Uganda, we have developed a flexible parametric approach for combining current-status data with a history of blood transfusions. We model heterogeneity in transfusion-associated risk by a child-specific random effect. We present an extension of the model to accommodate the fact that there is no gold standard for HHV-8 infection and infection status was assessed by a serological assay. The parameters are estimated via maximum likelihood. Finally, we present results from applying various parameterizations of the model to the Ugandan study.

MeSH terms

  • Age Factors
  • Anemia, Sickle Cell / therapy
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Herpesviridae Infections / transmission*
  • Herpesvirus 8, Human*
  • Humans
  • Likelihood Functions
  • Models, Biological
  • Models, Statistical
  • Risk Factors
  • Transfusion Reaction*
  • Uganda