• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.53 no.5
• /
• pp.530-541
• /
• 2002

Background : Pleural fluid adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity can be helpful in a differntial diagnosis of an exudative pleural effusion because it is increased in a tuberculous pleural effusion. The ADA activity is determined mainly by the lymphocyte function. Age-associated immune decline is characterized by a decrease in T-lymphocyte function. For that reason, the pleural fluid ADA level would be lower in older patients with exudative pleural effusion. This study focused on the influence of age on the pleural fluid ADA activity in patients with exudative pleural effusion. Methods : A total of 81 patients with exudative pleural effusion were enrolled in this study. In all patients, the pleural fluid ADA activity was measured using an automated kinetic method. Results : The mean age of the patients was $52.7{\pm}21.2$ years. In all patients with exudative pleural effusion, the pleural fluid ADA activity revealed a significant difference between young patients (under 65 years of age) and old patients (p<0.05), and showed a negative correlation with age (r=-0.325, p<0.05). In the 60 patients with a tuberculous pleural effusion, the pleural fluid ADA activity revealed a significant difference between the young and older patients : $103.5{\pm}36.9$ IU/L in young patients Vs. $72.2{\pm}31.6$ IU/L in old patients (p<0.05), and showed a negative correlation with age (r=-0.384, p<0.05). In the 21 patients with non-tuberculous exudative pleural effusion, the pleural fluid ADA activity of the young patients and old patients was similar : $23.7{\pm}15.3$ IU/L in young patients Vs. $16.1{\pm}10.2$ IU/L in old patients (p>0.05), and did not show any correlation with age (r=-0.263, p>0.05). The diagnostic cutoff value of pleural fluid ADA activity for tuberculous pleural effusion was lower in the older patients (25.9 IU/L) than in the younger patients (49.1 IU/L) or all patients (38.4 IU/L) with exudative pleural effusion. Conclusion : Tuberculous pleural effusion is an important possibility to consider in older patients with a clinical suspicion of a tuberculous pleural effusion, although no marked increase in the pleural fluid ADA activity is usually detected. For a diagnosis of a tuberculous pleural effusion in old patients, the cutoff for the pleural fluid ADA activity should be set lower.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.438-450
• /
• 1998

Pleural effusion means the inflammation of pleura which has a majority of respiratory disease. The main clinical manifestation is pleural effusional pain, dyspnea, cough, fever, etc. and at present the Tuberculous pleural effusion has the most frequency in which exists exudate in our country. And during studying oriental medical treatment about Tuberculous exudative pleural effusional patient, we found the clinical case about The Combination therapy of Chinese traditional and Western medicine at journal of traditional Chinese Medicine and considered it would be help in oriental medical treatment, so we adjust and report now. This study was performed by analyzing the six papers reported centering around the clinical case of The Combination therapy of Chinese traditional and Western medicine in journal of traditional Chinese Medicine published between 1990-1996. As these papers have no mistakes on diagnosis because it obtained pleurocentesis, tuberculin test positive reaction on choicing clinical case, definite results on X-ray, ultrasound as well as clinical basis, so it considers an apt conclusion. The results were as follows: 1. Western medical treatment uses chemical remedy same with pulmonary tuberculosis, and in case of tubercular pleuritis, it needs thoracic duct pyorrhea, and according to simple exudation also operates therapheutic pleural paracentesis. 2. In case of hydrothorax absorption about tuberculous pleural effusion, prescription of purge the heat accumulated in the lung and eliminate the retention of fluid with powerful purgatives shows considerable effects. 3. The latter period treatment of tuberculous pleural effusion needs Supplement qi and active the collaterals, Nourishing yin and clearing heat in addition to Supporting healthy energy to eliminate evils. 4. In case of curing tuberculous pleural effusion, The Combination therapy of Chinese traditional and Western medicine shows more considerable effect than single western medical treatment in absorption of hydrothorax. 5. In case of curing tuberculous pleural effusion, The Combination therapy of Chinese traditional and Western medicine shows more considerable effect than single western medical treatment in prevention of disease reappearance. 6. In case of curing tuberculous pleural effusion, The Combination therapy of Chinese traditional and Western medicine shows more considerable effect than single western medical treatment in vitality recovery at the latter period of disease.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.76 no.5
• /
• pp.199-210
• /
• 2014

Pleural effusion is not a rare disease in Korea. The diagnosis of pleural effusion is very difficult, even though the patients often complain of typical symptoms indicating of pleural diseases. Pleural effusion is characterized by the pleural cavity filled with transudative or exudative pleural fluids, and it is developed by various etiologies. The presence of pleural effusion can be confirmed by radiological studies including simple chest radiography, ultrasonography, or computed tomography. Identifying the causes of pleural effusions by pleural fluid analysis is essential for proper treatments. This review article provides information on the diagnostic approaches of pleural effusions and further suggested ways to confirm their various etiologies, by using the most recent journals for references.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.62 no.6
• /
• pp.499-505
• /
• 2007

Background: Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1 protein (TREM-1) is a cell surface molecule expressed on neutrophils and monocytes, and it plays an important role in myeloid cell-activated inflammatory response. The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic efficiency of soluble (s) TREM-1 in the patients who had pleural effusion from various causes. Methods: Forty-five patients with exudative pleural effusion were included in this study. The level of sTREM-1 was measured in both the serum and pleural fluids by immunoblot assay with using human-sTREM-1 antibody. Results: The pleural fluid sTREM-1 was significantly different in the three groups of exudative pleural effusion (p=0.011). Particularly, the patients with parapneumonic effusion were found to have significantly higher pleural fluid levels of sTREM-1 than patients with tuberculous (p<0.05) and malignant effusion, respectively (p<0.05). However, the serum sTREM-1 did not show a significant difference in the three groups. In order to evaluate the diagnostic utility of pleural fluid sTREM-1, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.818 (p=0.001). Using a cutoff value of 103.5 pg/mL for the pleural fluid sTREM-1, the sensitivity and specificity were 73% and 81%, respectively, for differentiating parapneumonic effusion from tuberculous or malignant effusions. Conclusion: Pleural fluid sTREM-1 can be an additional marker for making the differential diagnosis of pleural effusion.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.55 no.5
• /
• pp.467-477
• /
• 2003

Background : Pleural effusions are generally divided into transudates and exudates. If it is exudative, more diagnostic tests are required in order to determine the cause of the local disease. A malignancy is a common and important cause of exudative pleural effusions. Because the pleural fluid cytology and pleural biopsy specimens do not provide a diagnosis in a high percentage of malignant effusions, several tumor markers have been examined. In order to overcome this limitation, this study hypothesized that C-reactive protein(CRP) and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) measurements would be useful for differentiating trasudates from exudates and determining the differences between a benign and malignant effusion. Methods : Eighty consecutive patients with a pleural effusion (tuberculous 20, parapneumonic 20, malignant 20, transudative 20) were examined prospectively: 60 of them were classified according to Light's criteria as having an exudative fluid and 20 had a transudative fluid. The standard parameters of a pleural effusion were examined and the serum and pleural effusion VEGF levels were measured using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). CRP in the serum and pleural fluid was determined by a turbidimetric immunoassay. Results : The pleural CRP levels in the exudates were significantly higher than those in the transudates, $4.19{\pm}4.22mg/d{\ell}$ and $1.29{\pm}1.45mg/d{\ell}$, respectively. The VEGF levels in the pleural effusions were significantly elevated in the exudates compared to the transudate, $1,011{\pm}1,055pg/m{\ell}$ and $389{\pm}325pg/m{\ell}$, respectively. The VEGF ratio in the exudative effusion is significantly higher than a transudative effusions, $3.9{\pm}4.7$ and $1.6{\pm}0.9$, respectively. The pleural CRP levels in the patients with a benign effusion($4.15{\pm}4.20mg/d{\ell}$) were significantly higher than those in the malignant effusion($1.43{\pm}1.91mg/d{\ell}$). The VEGF ratio is significantly higher in malignant effusions($4.9{\pm}5.5$) than in benign effusions($2.8{\pm}3.6$). Conclusion : In conclusion, the CRP and VEGF levels in the serum and pleural effusion can distinguish between transudates and exudates. Moreover it can differentiate between benign and malignant pleural effusions.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.7
• /
• pp.3057-3060
• /
• 2015

Background: Cytological examination of pleural effusions is very important in the diagnosis of malignant lesions. Thoracentesis is the first investigation to be performed in a patient with pleural effusion. In this study, we aimed to compare traditional with cell block methods for diagnosis of lung disease accompanied by pleural effusion. Materials and Methods: A total of 194 patients with exudative pleural effusions were included. Ten mililiters of fresh pleural fluid were obtained by thoracentesis from all patients in the initial evaluation. The samples gathered were divided to two equal parts, one for conventional cytological analysis and the other for analysis with the cell block technique. In cytology, using conventional diagnostic criteria cases were divided into 3 categories, benign, malignant and undetermined. The cell block sections were evaluated for the presence of single tumor cells, papillary or acinar patterns and staining with mucicarmine. In the cell block examination, in cases with sufficient cell counts histopathological diagnosis was performed. Results: Of the total undergoing conventional cytological analyses, 154 (79.4%)were reported as benign, 33 (17%) as malignant and 7 (3.6%) as suspicious of malignancy. With the cell block method the results were 147 (75.8%) benign, 12 (6.2%) metastatic, 4 (2.1%) squamous cell carcinoma, 18 (9.3%) adenocarcinoma, 5 (2.6%) large cell carcinoma, 2 (1%) mesothelioma, 3 (1.5%) small cell carcinoma, and 3 (1.5%) lymphoma. Conclusions: Our study confirmed that the cell block method increases the diagnostic yield with exudative pleural effusions accompanying lung cancer.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.56 no.2
• /
• pp.159-168
• /
• 2004

Background : In recent years, numerous human tumor specific antigens such as melanoma antigen gene(MAGE) that is recognized by autologous cytotoxic T lymphocytes have been identified. MAGE is expressed in many human malignancies in various organs, such as lung, breast, stomach, esophagus and leukemia. Therefore MAGE has been studied widely for tumor diagnosis and immunotherapy. But, so far there were no clinical studies evaluating the role of MAGE in pleural effusion. We investigated the expression of MAGE in the patients with exudative pleural effusion for it's diagnostic utility and the results were compared with those of cytologic examinations. Methods : Diagnostic thoracentesis was performed in 44 consecutive patients with exudative pleural effusion during 6 months. We examined the expression of MAGE and cytology with the obtained pleural effusion. Expression of MAGE was interpreted by means of a commercial kit using RT-PCR method. Enrolled patients were divided into two groups such as malignant and benign and we analyzed its' sensitivity and specificity. Results : There were no significant differences between two groups in age, sex, white blood cell counts in pleural fluid, pleural fluid/serum protein ratio and pleural fluid/serum LDH ratio. The sensitivity and specificity of MAGE were 72.2% and 96.2% respectively and the positive predictive value and negative predictive value of MAGE were also 92.9% and 83.3% respectively. The sensitivity and negative predictive value of cytologic examinations were 66.7% and 81.3% respectively. There were no significant differences between sensitivities of MAGE and cytologic examinations but false positive result of MAGE was found in 1 case of tuberculous pleurisy. Conclusion : MAGE is a sensitive and specific marker for the differential diagnosis between benign and malignant effusion in patients with exudative pleural effusion. And MAGE would provide the equal sensitivity compared with that of cytologic examination in patients with malignant pleural effusion if 5mL of the pleural fluid is examined.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.44 no.3
• /
• pp.611-620
• /
• 1997

Objectives : The differentiation of tuberculous effusion from the other causes of exudative pleural effusion remained difficult even with aids of biochemical analyses and pleural biopsy. As the pathophysiology of tuberculous pleural effusion is an enhanced cell mediated immunity, Adenosine deaminase(ADA) and various eytokines including Inteferon-$\gamma$, tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-$\alpha$) are considered as useful diagnostic tools in differentiating exudative pleural effusion. The author would like to demonstrate the diagnostic usefulness of TNF-$\alpha$ in the differentiation of exudative pleural effusion, and compared the discriminating ability of TNF-$\alpha$ with ADA. Methods : Pleural fluids obtained from 80 patients (tuberculous : 39, malignant : 31, parapneumonic : 10) with exudate pleural effusions were processed for cell counts and biochemical analysis including ADA and TNF-$\alpha$. Results : Tuberculous pleural fluid showed higher levels of ADA and TNF-$\alpha$, $48.7{\pm}32.7U/L$ and $184.1{\pm}214.2pg/mL$ than that of non-tuberculous effusion $26.0{\pm}41.3U/L$ and $44.1{\pm}114.2pg/mL$, respectively (ADA, TNF-$\alpha$, p < 0.05, p < 0.01). Receiver operating characteristics(ROC) curves were generated for ADA and TNF-$\alpha$ and the best cut-off value for adenosine deaminase and TNF-$\alpha$were considered as 30U/L and 15pg/ml, respectively. Comparing the area under the ROC curves, there was no significant difference between ADA and TNF-$\alpha$. Conclusion : For the differential diagnosis of tuberculous pleural effusion from the other causes of exudative pleural effusions, TNF-$\alpha$ as well as ADA was considered as useful diagnostic method. However adding TNF-$\alpha$ to ADA has no further diagnotic benefit than ADA alone.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.69-80
• /
• 1989

From December 1987 to September 1988, clinical evaluation were performed at the Yeungnam University Hospital on 138 patients with exudative pleural effusion comparing with biochemical, bacteriologic, cytologic and pathologic studies. The results were as follows 1. Among thease 138 cases, Incidence of tuberculosis was 57.3%, neoplasm 26.8%. High tendency in malignant pleural effusion occured in elder age. 2. In tuberculosis pleural effusion, the rate of positive smear and culture for acid-fast bacilli in the pleural fluid was 3.7% and positive biopsy for granuloma 75%. 3. In malignant pleural effusion, the rate of positive cytology for cancer cell in the fluid was 42% and positive biopsy 60%. 4. Analysis in tuberculosis and malignancy showed the tendency of high pH, WBC, protein and of low glucose, but there were clinically not significant in differentiating malignant pleural effusion from tuberculous pleural effusion. 5. Among 23 cases in which the pleural tissue findings were chronic nonspecific reaction pathologically, tuberculosis(52.2%), malignancy(26%) and idiopathic(21.8%) eventually in follow up studies.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.191-195
• /
• 2006

Infectious mononucleosis(IM) is a clinical syndrome characterized by fever, exudative tonsillitis, gerneralized lymphadenopathy(90% of cases), splenomegaly(50% of cases), and hepatomegaly(10% of cases). It is mainly caused by Epstein-Barr virus(EBV) and usually recovered completely in the majority of cases. The complications of IM are splenic rupture, pancreatitis, hematologic problems such as hemolytic anemia, aplastic anemia, and thrombocytopenia, neurologic problems such as meningitis, encephalitis, and Guillian-Barr$\acute{e}$ syndrome, myocarditis, parotitis, orchitis, and interstitial pneumonitis, etc. Pulmonary involvement with EBV infection is rare condition reported frequency of 3% to 5%, in addition pleural effusion has been very rarely reported, especially in the pediatric population. We herein report a case of IM with pleural effusion in 3 years old boy with fever, cervical lymphnodes enlargement, and hepato-splenomegaly. And the pleural effusion is spontaneously resolved for a hospitalization period. A brief review of literature is included.