[Adenosine deaminase 2 in the diagnosis of tuberculous pleuritis].
OBJECTIVE
We examined the usefulness of adenosine deaminase 2 (ADA2) in the diagnosis of tuberculous pleuritis.


METHODS
A hundred cases, 78 male and 22 female, with pleural effusion were examined. With regard to pleural effusion, 18 cases were transudate and 82 cases (9 tuberculous pleuritis, 27 lung cancer, 8 mesothelioma, 5 malignant diseases except lung cancer and mesothelioma, 5 benign asbestos pleurisy, 10 empyema, 10 parapneumonic effusion, one SLE, one parasitic infection, and 6 undetermined etiology) were exudates. The last 6 cases with unknown origin were excluded in this study.


RESULTS
Pleural adenosine deaminase (ADA) was 90.4 +/- 22.4 U/l (mean +/- SD) and pleural ADA2 was 80.4 +/- 21.9 U/l in tuberculous pleuritis, both were significantly higher than those in non-tuberculous exudates (p < 0.001). In the diagnosis of tuberculous pleuritis, pleural ADA showed 100% sensitivity and 88% specificity, whereas pleural ADA2 showed 100% sensitivity and 91% specificity.


CONCLUSIONS
Pleural ADA2 is useful in the diagnosis of tuberculous pleuritis, which has similar sensitivity and a little better specificity compared with pleural ADA.
Inase
Naohiko
N
Department of Internal Medicine, Yokosuka Kyosai Hospital, 1-16, Yonegahama-dori, Yokosuka-shi, Kanagawa 238-8558, Japan. inase@ykh.gr.jp
Tominaga
Shinichirou
S
Yasui
Makito
M
Tsukada
Yoshikazu
Y
Oukouchi
Minoru
M
Miura
Hirotarou
H
D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / Q000032:analysis*; D000243:Adenosine Deaminase / Q000032:analysis*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004796:Clinical Enzyme Tests; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010996:Pleural Effusion; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000032:analysis*; D014396:Tuberculosis, Pleural / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology
D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D007527:Isoenzymes; C097695:TADA2A protein, human; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000243:Adenosine Deaminase