Abstract:

Adenosine deaminase (ADA), absolute lymphocyte, % and absolute T-lymphocyte values in the blood and pleural fluid have been evaluated in 16 tb pleurisy, 14 malignant pleurisy patients and in 17 controls. A very significant (p<0.001) pleural lymphocytic infiltration has been observed in patients of the tuberculous pleurisy when compared to the peripheral blood. The minimum ADA activity in pleural fluid has been determined as 38.8 U/L in tb pleurisy patients while it is 28.4 U/L as the maximum in the patients of malignant pleurisy (p<0.001). In the same respect, pleural fluid/blood ratios of ADA levels are 7.14 and 2.03. Considering histopathological diagnosis as the reference, ADA measurements have been found highly sensitive and specific. Thus ADA measurement both in the blood and in pleural fluid could provide a higher success in the differential diagnosis of the tb pleurisy. Routine application of this test might be of clinical profit.

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