title: Estimation of HIV-testing rates to maximize early diagnosis-derived benefits at the individual and population level.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In HIV infection, initiation of treatment is associated with improved clinical outcom and reduced rate of sexual transmission. However, difficulty in detecting infection in early stages impairs those benefits. We determined the minimum testing rate that maximizes benefits derived from early diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We developed a mathematical model of HIV infection, diagnosis and treatment that allows studying both diagnosed and undiagnosed populations, as well as determining the impact of modifying time to diagnosis and testing rates. The model's external consistency was assessed by estimating time to AIDS and death in absence of treatment as well as by estimating age-dependent mortality rates during treatment, and comparing them with data previously reported from CASCADE and DHCS cohorts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In our model, life expectancy of patients diagnosed before 8 years post infection is the same as HIV-negative population. After this time point, age at death is significantly dependent on diagnosis delay but initiation of treatment increases life expectancy to similar levels as HIV-negative population. Early mortality during HAART is dependent on treatment CD4 threshold until 6 years post infection and becomes dependent on diagnosis delay after 6 years post infection. By modifying testing rates, we estimate that an annual testing rate of 20% leads to diagnosis of 90% of infected individuals within the first 8.2 years of infection and that current testing rate in middle-high income settings stands close to 10%. In addition, many differences between low-income and middle-high incomes can be predicted by solely modifying the diagnosis delay.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To increase testing rate of undiagnosed HIV population by two-fold in middle-high income settings will minimize early mortality during initiation of treatment and global mortality rate as well as maximize life expectancy. Our results highlight the impact of achieving early diagnosis and the importance of strongly work on improving HIV testing rates.
authors: Centro Nacional de Referencia para el SIDA, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors: Dario A
authors: DA
authors: Dilernia
authors: Daniela C
authors: DC
authors: Monaco
authors: Carina
authors: C
authors: Cesar
authors: Alejandro J
authors: AJ
authors: Krolewiecki
authors: Samuel R
authors: SR
authors: Friedman
authors: Pedro
authors: P
authors: Cahn
authors: Horacio
authors: H
authors: Salomon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D003198:Computer Simulation; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D006678:HIV / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy; D008875:Middle Aged; D008954:Models, Biological; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult