title: Pleural fluid pentraxin-3 for the differential diagnosis of pleural effusions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Conventional biomarkers cannot always establish the cause of pleural effusions; thus, alternative tests permitting rapid and accurate diagnosis are required. The primary aim of this study is to assess the ability of pentraxin-3 (PTX3) in order to diagnose the cause of pleural effusion and compare its efficacy to that of other previously identified biomarkers.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 118 patients with pleural effusion, classified as transudates and exudates including malignant, tuberculous, and parapneumonic effusions (MPE, TPE, and PPE). The levels of PTX3, C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT) and lactate in the pleural fluid were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The levels of pleural fluid PTX3 were significantly higher in patients with PPE than in those with MPE or TPE. PTX3 yielded the most favorable discriminating ability to predict PPE from MPE or TPE by providing the following: area under the curve, 0.74 (95% confidence interval, 0.63-0.84), sensitivity, 62.07%; and specificity, 81.08% with a cut-off point of 25.00 ng/mL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggests that PTX3 may allow improved differentiation of PPE from MPE or TPE compared to the previously identified biomarkers CRP and PCT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Uijeongbu, Korea.
authors.forename: Chang Dong
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Yeo
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Uijeongbu, Korea.
authors.forename: Jin Woo
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Mi Ran
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Seung Joon
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Young Kyoon
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, St. Paul's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Haak
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Chan Kwon
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Clinical Research Coordinating Center, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Mi Sun
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Clinical Research Coordinating Center, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyeon Woo
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Yim
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Jong Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Park
keywords: PTX3 Protein; Pleural Effusion