The purpose of this study is to assess the usefulness of soluble vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the effusions of patients with malignant and tuberculous diseases. Using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay, VEGF concentration was measured in malignant (n=17) and tuberculous (n=11) pleural effusions. Pleural biopsy, cytology or microbiological methods were used to make final diagnoses. Adenosine deaminase (ADA) levels in tuberculous pleural effusions were significantly higher than those in malignant pleural effusions. The median level of VEGF in patients with malignant effusions (median, 2418 pg/mL; range, 97-62103 pg/mL) was significantly higher than tuberculous effusions (median, 994 pg/mL; range, 44-3552 pg/mL). There were no significant differences in pleural VEGF levels in patients with different histological types of lung cancer. The VEGF level was not correlated with ADA, lactate dehydrogenase and total protein levels of pleural fluid. In conclusion, pleural VEGF levels in patients with malignant effusions were significantly higher than tuberculous effusions, and the measurement of pleural VEGF is helpful in discriminating between malignant and tuberculous effusions. Further studies are needed to determine the clinical value of VEGF as a tumor marker and a prognostic factor.
Endothelial Growth Factors/metabolism* ; Female ; Human ; Lymphokines/metabolism* ; Male ; Middle Age ; Pleural Effusion/metabolism* ; Pleural Effusion, Malignant/metabolism* ; Tuberculosis, Pleural/metabolism*

The purpose of this study is to assess the usefulness of soluble vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the effusions of patients with malignant and tuberculous diseases. Using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay, VEGF concentration was measured in malignant (n=17) and tuberculous (n=11) pleural effusions. Pleural biopsy, cytology or microbiological methods were used to make final diagnoses. Adenosine deaminase (ADA) levels in tuberculous pleural effusions were significantly higher than those in malignant pleural effusions. The median level of VEGF in patients with malignant effusions (median, 2418 pg/mL; range, 97-62103 pg/mL) was significantly higher than tuberculous effusions (median, 994 pg/mL; range, 44-3552 pg/mL). There were no significant differences in pleural VEGF levels in patients with different histological types of lung cancer. The VEGF level was not correlated with ADA, lactate dehydrogenase and total protein levels of pleural fluid. In conclusion, pleural VEGF levels in patients with malignant effusions were significantly higher than tuberculous effusions, and the measurement of pleural VEGF is helpful in discriminating between malignant and tuberculous effusions. Further studies are needed to determine the clinical value of VEGF as a tumor marker and a prognostic factor.
Endothelial Growth Factors/metabolism* ; Female ; Human ; Lymphokines/metabolism* ; Male ; Middle Age ; Pleural Effusion/metabolism* ; Pleural Effusion, Malignant/metabolism* ; Tuberculosis, Pleural/metabolism*

UNLABELLEDBACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Telomerase and CYFRA21-1 may be positively expressed in malignant pleural effusion, but the sensitivity and specificity of single tumor marker were low. The aim of this study is to investigate the diagnostic value of combining determination of telomerase activity and CYFRA21-1 levels in differentiating benign from malignant pleural effusion caused by lung cancer.

METHODS80 patients with malignant and 50 patients with benign pleural effusion were enrolled into this study. The telomerase activity in pleural effusion was tested by means of telomeric repeat amplification protocal-PCR-ELISA (TRAP-PCR-ELISA) and CYFRA21-1 levels were tested by the EIA method. All the results were analyzed by the statistical method.

RESULTSThe levels of telomerase and CYFRA21-1 in malignant pleural effusion was significantly higher than that in benign one (t = 17.252 and t = 13.951, P < 0.001). The sensitivity of telomerase activity testing for diagnosing malignant pleural effusion was 71.3%; the specificity was 86.0% and the overall accuracy was 76.9%. The sensitivity of CYFRA 21-1 testing was 60.0%, the specificity was 78.0% and the overall accuracy was 66.9%. The sensitivity of the combined testing was 90.0%, the specificity was 76.0% and the overall accuracy was 86.9%. The sensitivity and the overall accuracy of combined testing were higher than those of telomerase and CYFRA21-1 testing single (chi2 = 9.002 and chi2 = 19.201, P < 0.01; chi2 = 4.389 and chi2 = 14.647, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe combined testing oftelomerase with CYFRA21-1 can increase the sensitivity and overall accuracy of differential diagnosis of benign and malignant pleural effusion diagnosis.

Aged ; Antigens, Neoplasm ; analysis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Keratin-19 ; analysis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pleural Effusion ; diagnosis ; Pleural Effusion, Malignant ; diagnosis ; Telomerase ; metabolism

BACKGROUNDPrevious studies reported interleukin-27 (IL-27), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), or adenosine deaminase (ADA) alone plays a helpful role in diagnosing tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE). The present study aims at comparing the diagnostic accuracy of pleural IL-27, IFN-γ, and ADA, and investigate the diagnostic accuracy of the combination of IL-27, IFN-γ, or/and ADA for differentiating TPE from pleural effusions with the other etiologies.

METHODSThe concentrations of IL-27, IFN-γ and ADA were simultaneously determined in pleural fluids and sera from 40 patients with TPE; 26 with malignant pleural effusion, seven with infectious pleural effusion, and eight with transudative pleural effusion by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and colorimetric method. The corresponding biochemical indexs were also simultaneously determined.

RESULTSThe concentrations of pleural IL-27 and IFN-γ in the tuberculous group were significantly higher than those in the malignant, infectious, and transudative groups. The concentrations of ADA in TPE were significantly higher than those in MPE or transudative effusions, while much lower than those in infectious effusions. Among these three biomarkers, IL-27 was the most effective for TPE diagnosis, with the cut off value of 900.8 ng/L. IL-27 had a high sensitivity of 95% and specificity of 97.6% for differential diagnosis of TPE from non-TPEs. Combinations of IL-27, IFN-γ and ADA measurements further increased the sensitivity or specificity up to 100%.

CONCLUSIONSCompared to non-TPEs, IL-27, IFN-γ and ADA all simultaneously increased in TPE; and among these three rapid detection methods, IL-27 appeared to be the best for distinguishing tuberculous from non-TPEs, especially from MPE. Combinations of the three markers (IL-27, IFN-γ and ADA) yielded the highest sensitivity and specificity. These findings suggest that the applications of a new biomarker, IL-27, alone or with IFN-γ and ADA, may contribute to more efficient diagnosis strategies in the management of tuberculous pleurisy.

Adenosine Deaminase ; blood ; metabolism ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma ; blood ; metabolism ; Interleukin-27 ; blood ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pleural Effusion ; blood ; metabolism ; Tuberculosis, Pleural ; blood ; diagnosis ; metabolism

BACKGROUND: ADA is an enzyme found in most cells, and is involved in purine metabolism, but its chief role concerns the proliferation and differentiation of lymphocytes, especially T-lymphocytes. For that reason ADA has been looked on as a marker of cell-mediate immunity, which is th key mechanism of the tuberculous pleural effusion. Thus, the pleural fluid ADA activity is increased in the tuberculous pleural effusion.Age associated immune deline is characterized by decreases in both B and T-lymphocyte function and the former may be largely a result of the latter. Therefore, the epleural fluid ADA activity would be lower in old rather than in young, patients with tuberculous pleural effusion. We studied the relationship between age, and pleural fluid ADA activity, in patients with tuberculous pleural effusion. METHODS: In the 46 patients with tuberculous pleural effusion enroll in this study, the pleural fluid ADA activities were measured by means of an automated kinetic method. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 53.0+/-22.0 years, with a male to female ratio of 30 : 16. The patients were divided into two groups, young patients, regarded as <65 and old regarded as >or=65 years with 28 and 18 patients, respectively. The pleural fluid ADA activity in both groups show significant differences : 99.4+/- 22.6 IU/L(young patients) Vs. 75.8+/-30.9 IU/L(old patients)(p<0.05), but a negative correlation with age (r=-0.311, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Although pleural fluid ADA activity was not adequately increase, tuberculous pleural effusion, in older patients, would have to be considered clinically suspicious tuberculous pleural effusion.
Adenosine Deaminase* ; Adenosine* ; Female ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; Male ; Metabolism ; Pleural Effusion* ; T-Lymphocytes

BACKGROUND: ADA is an enzyme found in most cells, and is involved in purine metabolism, but its chief role concerns the proliferation and differentiation of lymphocytes, especially T-lymphocytes. For that reason ADA has been looked on as a marker of cell-mediate immunity, which is th key mechanism of the tuberculous pleural effusion. Thus, the pleural fluid ADA activity is increased in the tuberculous pleural effusion.Age associated immune deline is characterized by decreases in both B and T-lymphocyte function and the former may be largely a result of the latter. Therefore, the epleural fluid ADA activity would be lower in old rather than in young, patients with tuberculous pleural effusion. We studied the relationship between age, and pleural fluid ADA activity, in patients with tuberculous pleural effusion. METHODS: In the 46 patients with tuberculous pleural effusion enroll in this study, the pleural fluid ADA activities were measured by means of an automated kinetic method. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 53.0+/-22.0 years, with a male to female ratio of 30 : 16. The patients were divided into two groups, young patients, regarded as <65 and old regarded as >or=65 years with 28 and 18 patients, respectively. The pleural fluid ADA activity in both groups show significant differences : 99.4+/- 22.6 IU/L(young patients) Vs. 75.8+/-30.9 IU/L(old patients)(p<0.05), but a negative correlation with age (r=-0.311, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Although pleural fluid ADA activity was not adequately increase, tuberculous pleural effusion, in older patients, would have to be considered clinically suspicious tuberculous pleural effusion.
Adenosine Deaminase* ; Adenosine* ; Female ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; Male ; Metabolism ; Pleural Effusion* ; T-Lymphocytes

Humans ; Lymphoid Tissue ; ultrastructure ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Pleura ; physiology ; ultrastructure ; Pleural Effusion ; metabolism ; Viscera

Adenosine Deaminase ; metabolism ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma ; analysis ; Interleukin-12 ; analysis ; Isoenzymes ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pleural Effusion ; chemistry ; Tuberculosis, Pleural ; diagnosis ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo establish a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-based method for determining isoniazide concentration in pleural effusion and plasma of patients with tuberculous pleurisy, and evaluate the permeability of isoniazide from blood into pleural effusion.

METHODSWe collected pleural effusion from 15 patients with tuberculous pleurisy 2 h after administration 300 mg isoniazide in the morning of day 1. Pleural effusion and plasma were obtained 2 h after isoniazide administration on day 3. Isoniazide concentration was measured using HPLC, and the penetration rate of isoniazide in pleural effusion was calculated.

RESULTSIsoniazide concentration in the pleural effusion averaged 1.156∓1.190 µg/ml in the 15 patients at 2 h after isoniazide administration on day 1. On day 3, isoniazide concentration was 1.920∓1.294 µg/ml in the pleural effusion and 2.445∓1.463 µg/ml in the plasma, and the mean penetration rate of isoniazide from blood into the pleural effusion was 86.0%.

CONCLUSIONAs isoniazide has a high penetration rate into the pleural effusion in most patients, continuous oral administration of isoniazid has been sufficient to achieve an effective treatment concentration, and intrapleural injection of isoniazide may seem unnecessary for non-drug-resistant tuberculosis pleurisy.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Isoniazid ; pharmacokinetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Permeability ; Pleura ; metabolism ; Pleural Effusion ; metabolism ; Tuberculosis, Pleural ; metabolism ; Young Adult

The assessment of the adenosine deaminase activity (ADA) in the pleural effusion is used for the diagnosis of tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE). To examine whether the procedure can be applied to immunocompromised patients, we analyzed the ADA activity in the pleural fluid of renal transplant recipients. We studied 23 renal transplant patients with TPE (21 men and 2 women; the mean age, 33 years). They were treated at the Yonsei University Hospital between January 1985 and December 2001. Patients with granuloma in the pleural biopsy specimen or positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the pleural fluid culture were recruited. The ADA activity in the pleural effusion of 23 renal transplant patients with TPE was compared with 23 immunocompetent patients with TPE. The mean ADA activity was 69.5 +/- 4.6 in renal transplant patients and 65.0 +/- 4.9 U/L in immunocompetent patients. Applying the 40 U/L cut-off point, the positivity of ADA was 91.3% in renal transplant patients, and 86.9% in immunocompetent patients. We thus concluded that the measurement of ADA in the pleural fluid is a useful means in the diagnosis of TPE in renal transplant patients.
Adenosine Deaminase/*metabolism ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; *Kidney Transplantation ; Male ; Pleural Effusion/*diagnosis/*enzymology/microbiology ; Tuberculosis, Pleural/*diagnosis/immunology/metabolism