• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.388-396
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• 1998

Background: Etiologic diagnosis of pleural effusion is usually made by clinical characteristics, pleural fluid analysis and pleural biopsy. But, despite careful diagnostic study, the cause of pleural effusion cannot be found in about 20 percent of patients, especially in loculated pleural effusions. Tuberculous pleurisy is one of the most common cause of pleural effusion in Korea. But, pleural fluid culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis are positive in only 20 to 30 percent of patients and typical pleural biopsy finding in less than 50 percent of patients with this disease. In recent studies, adenosine deaminse(ADA) and its isoenzymes were proposed to be a useful diagnostic tool for differential diagnosis of pleural effusion. We investigated the pattern of ADA and its iscenzyme activities in various cause of pleural effusions to evaluate the diagnostic value of measuring ADA and its isoenzymes. Method: We measured total ADA and its isoenzyme activities in pleural fluid and serum from 54 patients with pleural effusion(25 tuberculous pleural effusion, 10 parapneumonic effusion, 14 malignant pleural effusion, 5 transudative pleural effusion), including 5 loculated tuberculous pleural effusions and 6 loculated parapneumonic effusions. Total ADA activity was measured by the spectrophotometric method and ADA2 isoenzyme activity was measured with same method using EHNA, potent inhibitor of ADA1 isoenzyme activity. Result: Total ADA activity of tuberculous pleural effusion was higher than malignant pleural effusion(p<0.01), but no significant difference was found between tuberculous pleural effusion and parapneumonic effusion(tuberculous pleural effusion: $148.9{\pm}89.9IU/L$, parapneumonic effusion: $129.0{\pm}119.4IU/L$, malignant pleural effusion: $48.7 {\pm}39.7IU/L$). Percentage of ADA2 activity to total ADA activity(ADA2%) of pleural effusion of tuberculous pleurisy was higher than parapneumonic effusion(p<0.05). but no significant difference was found between tuberculous pleural effusion and malignant pleural effusion(tuberculous pleural effusion: $57.2{\pm}10.7%$, parapneumonic effusion: $35.9{\pm}17.8%$, malignant pleural effusion: $60.7{\pm}4.1%$). In loculated pleural effusion, ADA2% of tuberculous pleural effusion was higher than parapneumonic effusion(tuberculous pleural effusion: $53.3{\pm}3.9%$, parapneumonic effusion: $27.8{\pm}7.9%$). Conclusion: Measurement of ADA isoenzyme activity is useful for differentiating tuberculous pleural effusion from parapneumonic effusion, especially in loculated pleural effusion.

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

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.33 no.8
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• pp.669-675
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• 2000

Background: Tuberculous pleurisy is the leading cause of pleural effusion in Korea. And differential diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy with other cause is clinically very important. Traditional diagnostic methods such as routine analysis of pleural fluid, staining for acid-fast bacilli or pleural biopsy have major inherent limitaion. This study was designed to evaluate the significance of pleural fluid polymerase chain reaction(PCR) and adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity in early diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy. Material and Method: Between March 1996 and July 1997, 198 patients with pleural effusion reviewed retrospectively. The study group included 112 cases with tuberculous effusion and 86 cases with non-tuberculous effusions, whose diagnoses were confirmed by pleural biopsy, microbiological methods, or cytology. We compared the results of PCR and pleural fluid levels of ADA between tuberculous and non-tuberculous effusions. Result: Mean age was 47.54$\pm$19.52 years(range 2 to 85 years). The positive rate of PCR was significantly higher in tuberculous group than non-tuberculous group(p<0.05). The sensitivty, specificity, positive predictive value(PPV), and negative predictive value(NPV) for PCR were 31.7, 90.9, 83.0, and 48.8%, respectively. Mean ADA activity was significantly higher in tuberculous group than non-tuberculous group(83.2 U/L vs 49.8 U/L)(p<0.05). With diagnostic thresholds of 40 U/L, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of ADA for tuberculosis were 75.9, 70.9, 77.3, and 69.3% respectively. At a level of 70 U/L, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of ADA for tuberculosis were 70.1, 75.9, 82.9, and 60.3% respectively. Conclusion: PCR is very highly specific, but less sensitive methods in diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy. But ADA level of pleural fluid has acceptable sensitivity and specificity in diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy. ADA activity is more useful test in the evaluation of pleural effusions.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.76 no.1
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• pp.15-22
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• 2014

Background: Apoptosis plays a role in the development of pleural effusion. Caspase-cleaved cytokeratin 18, a marker for epithelial cell apoptosis, was evaluated in pleural effusion. Methods: A total of 79 patients with pleural effusion were enrolled. The underlying causes were lung cancer (n=24), parapneumonic effusion (n=15), tuberculous effusion (n=28), and transudates (n=12). The levels of M30, an epitope of caspase-cleaved cytokeratin 18, were measured in blood and pleural fluids using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay along with routine cellular and biochemical parameters. The expression of M30 was evaluated in the pleural tissues using immunohistochemistry for M30. Results: The M30 levels in pleural fluid were significantly higher in patients with tuberculosis ($2,632.1{\pm}1,467.3U/mL$) than in patients with lung cancer ($956.5{\pm}618.5U/mL$), parapneumonic effusion ($689.9{\pm}413.6U/mL$), and transudates ($273.6{\pm}144.5U/mL$; all p<0.01). The serum levels were not significantly different among the disease groups. Based on receiver operating characteristics analysis, the area under the curve of M30 for differentiating tuberculous pleural effusion from all other effusions was 0.93. In the immunohistochemical analysis of M30, all pathologic types of cancer cells showed moderate to high expression, and the epithelioid cells in granulomas showed high expression in tuberculous pleural tissues. Conclusion: Caspase-cleaved cytokeratin 18 was most prominently observed in tuberculous pleural effusion and showed utility as a clinical marker. The main source of M30 was found to be the epithelioid cells of granulomas in tuberculous pleural tissues.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.793-802
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• 1997

A clinical analysis was performed on 52 cases of tuberculous pleurisy experienced in the department of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery and department of medicine, Chosun University Hospital during a period from Jan. 1994 to Dec. 1995. Among them, male was 39 cases, female was 13 cases, with age ranged from 7 to 73 years. The common symptoms were chest pain 75%, dyspnea 59.6%, cough 55.8%. The most common diagnostic tool was pleural biopsy. The protein levels in the tuberculous pleural effusion were 0.9∼6.5 gmojo, and ratios of effusion protein to serum protein were 0.48 ∼ 1.06. The glucose levels in the tuberculous pleural effusion were 37∼ 112 mg%. The LDH levels in the tuberculous pleural effusion were 80 ∼ 2440 unitlml, and ratios of tuberculous p eural effusion LDH to serum LDH were 0.48 ∼ 1.03. The ADA levels in the tuberculous pleural effusion were 24-63 lU/L. The common surgical methods of treatment in the tuberculous pleurisy were closed thoracostomy in 18 cases(66.7%), and thoracentesis in 5 cases(18.5%). This study compares the clinical results of group A and group B. There were no significant differences for age and sex, lag period from initial symptoms to admission, diagnostic method, and protein, pH, LDH, glucose, ADA levels in tuberculous pleural effusion. Authors noted that the discharge after admission on the tuberculous pleurisy was more faster in patients with surgical treatment than in patients with only medical treatment. (Korean J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1997;30:793-802)

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.608-615
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• 2002

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 the key mechanism of the tuberculous pleural effusion. Thus, the pleural fluid ADA activity is increased in the tuberculous pleural effusion. Age associated immune decline is characterized by decreases in both B and T-lymphocyte function and the former may be largely a result of the latter. Therefore, the pleural 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. Materials and 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 $53.0{\pm}22.0$ 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 ${\geq}65$ years with 28 and 18 patients, respectively. The pleural fluid ADA activity in both groups show significant differences : $99.4{\pm}22.6$ IU/L(young patients) Vs. $75.8{\pm}30.9$ 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 increased, tuberculous pleural effusion, in older patients, would have to be considered clinically suspicious tuberculous pleural effusion.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.63 no.3
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• pp.268-272
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• 2007

A tuberculous pleural effusion may be a sequel to a primary infection or represent the reactivation of pulmonary tuberculosis. It is believed to result from a rupture of a subpleural caseous focus in the lung into the pleural space. It appears that delayed hypersensitivity plays a large role in the pathogenesis of a tuberculous pleural effusion. We encountered a 52 years old man with pleural effusion that developed several days after a CT guided percutaneous needle biopsy of a solitary pulmonary nodule. He was diagnosed with TB pleurisy. It is believed that his pleural effusion probably developed due to exposure of the parenchymal tuberculous focus into the pleural space during the percutaneous needle biopsy. This case might suggest one of the possible pathogeneses of tuberculous pleural effusion.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.298-302
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• 1993

The 40 patients who admitted with chief complaints of pleural effusion and were performed closed thoracostomy and pleural biopsy at the same time with only one incision during the period from Mar,1990. To Feb. 1992. At the department of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery; HanYang University were reviewed retrospectively and the results are as follows: 1. The age of patients ranged from 16 to 73-years old [Mean 44.3-years old]. The peak incidence was fifth decade [25 %] and the next was third decades [22.5 %]. 2. 28 patients were male and 12 patients were female with male preponderance[More than 2 times]. 3. The etiologic of pleural effusion were 25 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis[62.5 %], 8 cases of empyema [20 %], and 7 cases of malignant diseases [17.5 %]. 4. The most common chief complaints were dyspnea[21 cases:29.2%], chest discomfort[16 cases:22.2%], and the coughing with sputum [12 cases: 16.7 %]. 5. The duration of symptom were varied from 3 days to lyear [Mean 3.2 weeks]. 6. The amounts of drained pleural effusion after closed thoracostomy were ranged from 100ml to 2,400 ml [Mean 650 ml], but the amounts in case of malignant pleural effusion were varied from 400ml to 1,700ml [Mean 950ml]. 7. The diagnostic rate was 84.6 % with routine examination of tuberculous pleural effusion [Lymphocyte predominance] and the same rate was acquired by pleural biopsy. 8. The diagnostic rate by pleural biopsy in case of malignant pleural effusion was 57.1% and lower than tuberculous pleural effusion. 9. The etiology of malignant pleural effusion were squamous cell carcinoma [3 cases:42.8 %], adenocarcinoma [2 cases:28.6 %] and metasiatic breast cancer [1 case:14.3%].

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

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.59 no.6
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• pp.625-630
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• 2005

Background : Determining the cause of an exudative pleural effusion is sometimes quite difficult, especially between malignant and tuberculous effusions. Twenty percent of effusions remain undiagnosed even after a complete diagnostic evaluation, including pleural biopsy. The activity of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-${\alpha}$), which is the one of proinflammatory cytokines, is increased in both infectious and malignant effusions. The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic efficiency of TNF-${\alpha}$ activity in distinguishing tuberculous from malignant effusions. Methods : 46 patients (13 with malignant pleural effusion, 33 with tuberculous pleural effusion) with exudative pleurisy were included. TNF-${\alpha}$ concentrations were measured in the pleural fluid and serum samples using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In addition, TNF-${\alpha}$ ratio (pleural fluid TNF-${\alpha}$ : serum TNF-${\alpha}$) was calculated. Results : TNF-${\alpha}$ concentration and TNF-${\alpha}$ ratio in the pleural fluid were significantly higher in the tuberculous effusions than in the malignant effusions (p<0.05). However, the serum levels of TNF-${\alpha}$ in the malignant and tuberculous pleural effusions were similar (p>0.05). The cut off points for the pleural fluid TNF-${\alpha}$ level and TNF-${\alpha}$ ratio were found to be 136.4 pg/mL and 6.4, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity and area under the curve were 81%, 80% and 0.82 for the pleural fluid TNF-${\alpha}$ level (p<0.005) and 76%, 70% and 0.72 for the TNF-${\alpha}$ ratio (p<0.05). Conclusion : We conclude that pleural fluid TNF-${\alpha}$ level and TNF-${\alpha}$ ratio can distinguish a malignant pleural effusion from a tuberculous effusion, and can be additional markers in a differential diagnosis of tuberculous and malignant pleural effusion. The level of TNF-${\alpha}$ in the pleural fluid could be a more efficient marker than the TNF-${\alpha}$ ratio.