Protocol for evaluating mechanistic pathways associated with HIV acquisition via nested Least Absolute Shrinkage and...

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Biostatistics
• Immunology

Background:

• Evaluating mechanistic pathways in statistical analysis is challenging due to non-causal associations and multicollinearity in high-dimensional data.
• Understanding the interplay between sociodemographic, behavioral factors, immune biomarkers, and HIV acquisition is crucial for effective prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a protocol for evaluating statistical associations between multiple exposure variables, immune biomarkers, and HIV acquisition.
• To provide a method for assessing the contribution of exposure risks to HIV acquisition, considering immune activation changes.

Main Methods:

• A protocol combining Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selective Operator (LASSO) with standard regression approaches.
• Development of nested models to systematically analyze complex relationships between variables.
• Detailed steps for study setup, data analysis, and model building are described.

Main Results:

• The protocol enables the evaluation of statistical associations between sociodemographic and behavioral exposures, immune biomarkers, and HIV acquisition.
• The method allows for the determination of the extent to which exposure risks contribute to HIV acquisition, independent of or in conjunction with immune activation changes.

Conclusions:

• The presented statistical protocol offers a robust framework for investigating complex associations in high-dimensional data relevant to HIV acquisition.
• This approach enhances the understanding of mechanistic pathways underlying HIV risk by disentangling the influence of various factors.