title: Pleural fluid and serum soluble interleukin-2 receptors in pleural effusions.
abstract: Pleural fluid and serum soluble Interleukin-2 receptors (sIL-2R) were measured by an enzyme-immunoassay in 13 patients with tuberculous pleurisy, in 28 patients with carcinomatous pleurisy and in 17 transudates from patients with congestive heart failure. Significantly higher values of sIL-2R were observed in exudative than in transudative (mean +/- SEM = 713 +/- 111 U/ml) pleural fluid samples, the highest being found in tuberculous (3777 +/- 501 U/ml) and the intermediate in carcinomatous exudates (1981 +/- 160 U/ml) (p less than 0.0001; on way ANOVA). Serum sIL-2R were significantly higher in carcinomatous and transudative groups than in age- and sex- matched controls (p less than 0.002; one way ANOVA), while there was no significant difference between the tuberculous group and controls. The pleural/serum sIL-2R ratio was significantly higher in tuberculous (5.32 +/- 0.60), than in carcinomatous pleurisy (2.67 +/- 0.20) and higher still than in transudates (0.76 +/- 0.10) (p less than 0.001; one way ANOVA). In conclusion, the pleura/serum sIL-2R ratio may be a helpful parameter in differentiating tuberculous from carcinomatous pleurisy and an additional confirmatory one for distinguishing transudates from exudates.
authors.affiliation: Hormonological Laboratory, Areterion, University Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sarandakou
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Poulakis
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rizos
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Phocas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005122:Exudates and Transudates / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000378:metabolism*; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D014396:Tuberculosis, Pleural / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2