Appendix 1: Description of the 30 reviews included in the study and their main characteristics.

Reference / Number of studies included / Number of patients included / Diagnostic test / Type of laboratory technique / Disease / Diagnostic accuracy / Study conclusions
Arbyn M et al, 20041. / 6 / 6,745 / Repeat cytology (ASCUS); Repeat cytology (LSIL); HPV DNA PCR. / Cytological test / Cancer: Cervical cancer / Good / Favourable
Arbyn M et al, 20032. / 15 / 55,623 / Repeat cytology (ASCUS); Repeat cytology (LSIL); HPV DNA PCR. / Cytological test / Cancer: Cervical cancer / Good / Favourable
Blacksell SD et al, 20063. / 11 / 946 / Dengue Inmunochromatographic test / Immunological test / Infectious disease: Dengue / Good / Promising
Brown MD et al, 20024. / 11 / 3,326 / D-dimer assay / Biochemical test / Cardiac and pulmonary disease: Pulmonary Embolism / Fair or Poor / Favourable
Chappuis F et al, 20065. / 13 / 7,324 / RK39 dipsticks; Agglutination test. / Immunological test / Infectious disease: Leishmaniasis / Good / Favourable
Colin C et al, 20016. / 10 / 6,052 / HCV ELISA. / Immunological test / Infectious disease: HCV / Good / Promising
Dinis-Ribeiro M et al, 20047. / 42 / 25,917 / Pepsinogen I and II test. / Immunological test / Cancer: Gastric cancer / Good / Promising
Ewald B et al, 20088. / 30 / 18,220 / Concentrations of plasma atrial (ANP and Nterminal ANP) and B-type (BNP) natriuretic peptides measured by radioimmunoassay. / Immunological test / Cardiac and pulmonary disease: Heart failure. / Good / Favourable
Gistert JP et al, 20069. / 23 / 2,638 / Rapid Urease Test; Histology; Stool Antigen Test; Serology; Culture and other biopsy-based diagnostic methods; Urea Breath test. / Others / Infectious disease: Helicobacter pylori infection. / Fair or Poor / No favourable
Goodacre S et al, 200510. / 97 / 16,061 / D-dimer assay / Biochemical test / Cardiac and pulmonary disease: deep vein thrombosis / Good / Promising
Gorelick MH et al, 199911. / 26 / 16,036 / Microscopic analysis; Dipstick; Gram stain. / Microbiological test / Infectious disease: urinary tract infection. / Fair or Poor / Favourable
Honest H et al, 200612. / 23 / 14,054 / Enzymeinmunoassay (selective culture); Enzymeinmunoassay (direct culture); OIA (direct culture); Latex agglutination (selective culture); Latex agglutination (direct culture); PCR. / Microbiological test / Infectious disease: Group B streptococcal infections. / Good / Promising
Hurley JC 200013. / 56 / 3,402 / limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) assay, gelation (GLAL) and chromogenic (CLAL). / Microbiological test / Infectious disease: endotoxemia with gram-negative bacteremia. / Good / Favourable
Medeiros LR et al, 200514. / 14 / 4,255 / Biopsy (pathology) / Cytological test / Cancer: Ovarian cancer. / Good / Promising
Menzies D et al, 200715. / 58 / 15,796 / Tuberculin skin testing; QuantiFERON; Elispot or Tspot.tb. / Inmunological test / Infectious disease: tuberculosis. / Fair or Poor / Promising
Miki K 200616. / 42 / 63,370 / Serum pepsinogen test / Inmunological test / Cancer: Gastric cáncer. / Good / Favourable
Mistry K et al, 200317. / 13 / 49,490 / Prostate-specific antigen and digital rectal examination. / Inmunological test / Cancer: Prostate carcinoma. / Good / Favourable
Mol BW et al 199718. / 23 / 5,493 / Chlamidya: tissue culture; direct antigen determination; serology. / Inmunological test / Others : tubal pathology. / Fair or Poor / Favourable
Moles DR et al, 200219. / 9 / 133,657 / Oral examination / Others / Cancer: Oral cáncer. / Good / Promising
Ogilvie GS et al, 200520. / 12 / 5,035 / Hybrid Capture-II; PCR. / Microbiological test / Cancer: Cervical cancer / Good / Favourable
Pai M et al, 200421. / 75 / 5,526 / Interferon-gamma assay. / Inmunological test / Infectious disease: Tuberculosis. / Fair or Poor / Promising
Price CP et al, 200522. / 16 / 1,988 / Protein-creatine ratio / Biochemical test / Others: Proteinuria. / Good / Favourable
Sarmiento OL et al, 200323. / 45 / 19,190 / PCR and Gen-Probe
Amplified Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Direct Test / Genetic test / Infectious disease: Tuberculosis / Good / Promising
Stein PD et al, 200424. / 78 / 13,820 / D-dimer. / Biological test / Cardiac and pulmonary disease: acute venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism / Fair or Poor / Favourable
Steingart KR et al, 200725. / 9 / 3,936 / Commercial serological antibody detection tests. / Immunological test / Infectious disease: extrapulmonary tuberculosis. / Good / No favourable
Steingart KR et al, 200726. / 27 / 8,316 / Commercial serological antibody detection tests. / Immunological test / Infectious disease: extrapulmonary tuberculosis. / Good / No favourable
Steingart KR et al, 200627. / 46 / 14,720 / Cervical Cytology. / Cytological tests / Infectious disease: Cervical cancer. / Good / No favourable
Watson EJ et al, 200228. / 32 / 38,059 / Urine PCR; Cervix PCR; Cervix GP; EIA Urine; DFA Cervix; EIA Cervix. / Others / Infectious disease: Chlamydia trachomatis. / Fair or Poor / Promising
Weinschenker P et al, 200429. / 14 / 4,828 / Immunocytochemical detection of epithelial cells in the bone marrow. / Immunological test / Cancer: Primary breast cancer. / Fair or Poor / No favourable
Zintzaras E et al, 200630. / 21 / 6,462 / Tissue Transglutaminase and Endomysial Antibodies. / Others / Others: Coeliac disease. / Good / Favourable

References:

  1. Arbyn M, Buntinx F, Van Ranst M, Paraskevaidis E, Martin-Hirsch P, Dillner J. Virologic versus cytologic triage of women with equivocal Pap smears: a meta-analysis of the accuracy to detect high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2004;96:280-93.

  1. Arbyn M, Schenck U, Ellison E, Hanselaar A. Metaanalysis of the accuracy of rapid prescreening relative to full screening of pap smears. Cancer. 2003;99:9-16.

  1. Blacksell SD, Doust JA, Newton PN, Peacock SJ, Day NP, Dondorp AM. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the diagnostic accuracy of rapid imunochromatographic assays for the detection of dengue virus IgM antibodies during acute infection. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2006;100:775-84.

  1. Brown MD, Rowe BH, Reeves MJ, Bermingham JM, Goldhaber SZ. The Accuracy of the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay D-Dimer Test in the Diagnosis of Pulmonary Embolism: A Meta-Analysis. Ann Emerg Med. 2002;40:133-44.

  1. Chappuis F, Rijal S, Soto A, Menten J, Boelaert M. A meta-analysis of the diagnostic performance of the direct agglutination test and rK39 dipstick for visceral leishmaniasis. BMJ. 2006;333:723.

  1. Colin C, Lanoir D, Touzet S, Meyaud-Kraemer L, Bailly F, Trepo C; et al. Sensitivity and specificity of third-generation hepatitis C virus antibody detection assays: an analysis of the literature. J Viral Hepat. 2001;8:87-95.

  1. Dinis-Ribeiro M, Yamaki G, Miki K, Costa-Pereira A, Matsukawa M, Kurihara M. Meta-analysis on the validity of pepsinogen test for gastric carcinoma, dysplasia or chronic atrophic gastritis screening. J Med Screen. 2004;11:141-7.

  1. Ewald B, Ewald D, Thakkinstian A, Attia J. Meta-analysis of B type natriuretic peptide and N-terminal pro B natriuretic peptide in the diagnosis of clinical heart failure and population screening for left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Intern Med J. 2008;38:101-13.

  1. Gisbert JP, Abraira V. Accuracy of Helicobacter pylori diagnostic tests in patients with bleeding peptic ulcer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Gastroenterol. 2006;101:848-63.

  1. Goodacre S, Sampson FC, Sutton AJ, Mason S, Morris F. Variation in the diagnostic performance of D-dimer for suspected deep vein thrombosis. QJM. 2005;98:513-27.

  1. Gorelick MH, Shaw KN. Screening tests for urinary tract infection in children: A meta-analysis. Pediatrics. 1999;104:e54.

  1. Honest H, Sharma S, Khan KS. Rapid Tests for Group B Streptococcus Colonization in Laboring Women: A Systematic Review. Pediatrics 2006;117;1055-66.

  1. Hurley JC. Concordance of endotoxemia with gram-negative bacteremia. A meta-analysis using receiver operating characteristic curves. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2000;124:1157-64.

  1. Medeiros LR, Rosa DD, Edelweiss MI, Stein AT, Bozzetti MC, Zelmanowicz A, et al. Accuracy of frozen-section analysis in the diagnosis of ovarian tumors: a systematic quantitative review. Int J Gynecol Cancer. 2005;15:192-202.

  1. Menzies D, Pai M, Comstock G. Meta-analysis: new tests for the diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection: areas of uncertainty and recommendations for research. Ann Intern Med. 2007;146:340-54.

  1. Miki K. Gastric cancer screening using the serum pepsinogen test method. Gastric Cancer. 2006;9:245-53.

  1. Mistry K, Cable G. Meta-analysis of prostate-specific antigen and digital rectal examination as screening tests for prostate carcinoma. J Am Board Fam Pract. 2003;16:95-101.

  1. Mol BW, Dijkman B, Wertheim P, Lijmer J, van der Veen F, Bossuyt PM. The accuracy of serum chlamydial antibodies in the diagnosis of tubal pathology: a meta-analysis. Fertil Steril. 1997;67:1031-7.

  1. Moles DR, Downer MC, Speight PM. Meta-analysis of measures of performance reported in oral cancer and precancer screening studies. Br Dent J. 2002 Mar 23;192:340-4.

  1. Ogilvie GS, Patrick DM, Schulzer M, Sellors JW, Petric M, Chambers K, et al. Diagnostic accuracy of self collected vaginal specimens for human papillomavirus compared to clinician collected human papillomavirus specimens: a meta-analysis. Sex Transm Infect. 2005;81:207-12.

  1. Pai M, Riley LW, Colford JM Jr. Interferon-gamma assays in the immunodiagnosis of tuberculosis: a systematic review. Lancet Infect Dis. 2004;4:761-76.

  1. Price CP, Newall RG, Boyd JC. Use of protein:creatinine ratio measurements on random urine samples for prediction of significant proteinuria: a systematic review. Clin Chem. 2005;51:1577-86.

  1. Sarmiento OL, Weigle KA, Alexander J, Weber DJ, Miller WC. Assessment by meta-analysis of PCR for diagnosis of smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis. J Clin Microbiol. 2003;41:3233-40.

  1. Stein PD, Hull RD, Patel KC, Olson RE, Ghali WA, Brant R, et al. D-dimer for the exclusion of acute venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism: a systematic review. Ann Intern Med. 2004;140:589-602.

  1. Steingart KR, Henry M, Laal S, Hopewell PC, Ramsay A, Menzies D, et al. A systematic review of commercial serological antibody detection tests for the diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Thorax. 2007;62:911-8.

  1. Steingart KR, Henry M, Laal S, Hopewell PC, Ramsay A, Menzies D, et al. Commercial serological antibody detection tests for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis: a systematic review. PLoS Med. 2007;4:e202.

  1. Steingart KR, Ng V, Henry M, Hopewell PC, Ramsay A, Cunningham J, Urbanczik R, et al. Sputum processing methods to improve the sensitivity of smear microscopy for tuberculosis: a systematic review. Lancet Infect Dis. 2006;6:664-74.

  1. Watson EJ, Templeton A, Russell I, Paavonen J, Mardh PA, Stary A, et al. The accuracy and efficacy of screening tests for Chlamydia trachomatis: a systematic review. J Med Microbiol. 2002;51:1021-31.

  1. Weinschenker P, Soares HP, Clark O, Del Giglio A. Immunocytochemical detection of epithelial cells in the bone marrow of primary breast cancer patients: a meta-analysis. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2004;87:215-24.
  2. Zintzaras E, Germenis AE. Performance of antibodies against tissue transglutaminase for the diagnosis of celiac disease: meta-analysis. Clin Vaccine Immunol. 2006;13:187-92.