title: Preliminary investigation of the clinical value of vascular endothelial growth factor and hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha in pericardial fluid in diagnosing malignant and tuberculous pericardial effusion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the clinical value of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) in diagnosing malignant and tuberculous pericardial effusion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty patients with exudative pericardial effusion undergoing pericardiocentesis and drainage were divided into 2 groups, namely those with malignancy and those with tuberculosis. The levels of HIF-1alpha, VEGF, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and adenosine deaminase (ADA) in pericardial fluid and serum were measured. Routine and cytological examination of pericardial fluid, clinical characteristics and some blood parameters were compared between the 2 groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 33 patients with tuberculous pericardial effusion and 47 with malignant pericardial effusion. The levels of VEGF and HIF-1alpha in pericardial fluid in the malignancy group were significantly higher than those in the tuberculosis group (p < 0.01), and there was a moderate positive correlation between the levels of VEGF and HIF-1alpha (r = 0.79, p < 0.01). The sensitivity and specificity of combining VEGF and HIF-1alpha were 90.8 and 88.3%, respectively. The 2 groups showed no differences with regard to gender distribution, occurrence of fever, erythrocyte sedimentation rate or the levels of hemoglobin, LDH, ADA, serum HIF-1alpha and VEGF.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both VEGF and HIF-1alpha in pericardial fluid have determinative value in the differential diagnosis of malignant and tuberculous pericardial effusion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Cardiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Jiefang Avenue 1095, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Jiani
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Wenfei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Shaohua
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yali
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Shan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: Hans-Joerg
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Weig
authors.forename: Qigong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism*; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000378:metabolism; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004322:Drainage; D005260:Female; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D020519:Pericardiocentesis; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014381:Tuberculosis, Cardiovascular / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C497442:HIF1A protein, human; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A