A Bayesian finite mixture model approach to evaluate dichotomization method for correlated ELISA tests

Abstract

In diagnostic accuracy studies, a commonly employed approach involves dichotomizing continuous data and subsequently analyzing them using a Bayesian latent class model (BLCM), often relying on binomial or multinomial distributions, rather than preserving their continuous nature. However, this procedure can inadvertently lead to less reliable outcomes due to the inherent loss of information when converting the original continuous measurements into binary values. Through comprehensive simulations, we demonstrated the limitations and disadvantages of dichotomizing continuous biomarkers from two correlated tests. Our findings highlighted notable disparities between the true values and the model estimates as a result of dichotomization. We discovered the crucial significance of selecting a reference test with high diagnostic accuracy in test evaluation in order to obtain reliable estimates of test accuracy and prevalences. Our study served as a call to action for veterinary researchers to exercise caution when utilizing dichotomization.

Keywords: Bayesian finite mixture model; Continuous data; Correlated ELISA tests; Dichotomization; Simulation studies.