The discrepancy in discrepant analysis.
Discrepant analysis is a widely used technique that attempts to provide estimates of sensitivity and specificity in the presence of an imperfect gold-standard. This technique has been applied by many researchers to estimate the sensitivity and specificity of DNA-amplification tests for Chlamydia trachomatis such as the plasmid-based ligase chain-reaction and polymerase chain-reaction tests. However, the sensitivity and specificity estimates obtained by discrepant analysis are upwardly biased, and this bias remains even when a perfect test is used to resolve the discrepant results. This technique should not be adopted for evaluating the performance of a diagnostic test.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Center for HIV, STD, and TB prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.
D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000382:microbiology; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D006801:Humans; D012015:Reference Standards; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity