Performance of β-glucan and qPCR to detect invasive aspergillosis in a multi-state model.

Abbreviations: GM: Aspergillus galactomannan antigenemia; ß-glucan: (1,3)-b-D glucan antigenemia; qPCR: PCR assay targeting Aspergillus fumigatus mitochondrial DNA; HEPA: High-Efficiency Particulate Air; N/A: not applicable; N/E: not estimable.
a1Explanatory variables excluded: 1) diagnostic information available to clinicians during the trial because they contribute eventually to the case definition of invasive aspergillosis; 2) the preemptive therapy arm of the trial because its effect is modeled by the decision to start and then stop antifungal therapy during neutropenia.
b1Explanatory variables excluded β-glucan and qPCR because they were not available to clinicians during the trial.
a2Explanatory variables included only age because of the limited number of breakthrough invasive aspergillosis (n = 4).
b2Explanatory variables excluded diagnostic information other than resolution of fever.
cAn (exponentiated) Weibull shape parameter above (below) 1 indicates that patients will transition from one state to another within a relatively short (long) time span.