title: Value of ascitic fibronectin and cholesterol concentration in the differentiation between malignancy-related and non-malignant ascites.
abstract: In this prospective study, we tried to evaluate various "humoral tests of malignancy" regarding their efficiency of discriminating between malignancy-related and non-malignant ascites. Fibronectin, total protein, number of cells, LDH, pH, specific gravity and cytology were compared in the ascitic fluid of 51 patients with malignancy-related and 52 patients with non-malignant ascites; patients with tuberculous peritonitis were not included. Ascitic fluid cholesterol was determined in 36 of 51 malignancy-related and in 37 of 52 non-malignant ascites. Cytology and fibronectin were found 100% specific with diagnostic efficiency 87.5% and 94.2% respectively under optimal conditions. Cholesterol was neither sensitive nor specific. It is concluded that fibronectin was a valuable test for malignancy-associated ascites.
authors.affiliation: Departement of Pathophysiology, University of Athens, Medical School, Laikon General Hospital, Greece.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Archimandritis
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kapsalas
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Douvara
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tjivras
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsirantonaki
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fertakis
mesh_terms: D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D005353:Fibronectins; D002784:Cholesterol