title: Clinical significance of pleural effusion mesothelin in malignant pleural mesothelioma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive malignant tumor of mesothelial origin associated with asbestos exposure. MPM has a limited response to conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy, so early diagnosis of MPM is very important. This study investigated the pleural effusion mesothelin levels in patients with MPM and compared them to those of a population with a non-malignant pleuritis or lung cancer involving malignant pleural effusion.
  
  
  METHODS
  The pleural effusion mesothelin concentrations were measured in 45 MPM patients and 53 non-MPM individuals (24 individuals with non-malignant pleural effusions and 29 individuals with lung cancer involving malignant pleural effusion).
  
  
  RESULTS
  This study demonstrated that patients with MPM had significantly higher pleural effusion mesothelin levels than a population with non-malignant pleuritis or lung cancer involving malignant pleural effusion. The difference in overall survival between the groups with pleural effusion mesothelin levels lower and higher than the assumed cut-off of 10 nM was significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data suggest that the pleural effusion mesothelin concentration could be useful as an aid for the diagnosis of MPM.
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Hyogo College of Medicine, Hyogo, Japan.
authors.forename: Shusai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Chiharu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tabata
authors.forename: Rie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tabata
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fukuoka
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakano
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D058851:GPI-Linked Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D000090204:Mesothelin; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000473:pathology*; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D058851:GPI-Linked Proteins; D000090204:Mesothelin