Table 4.
Pleural fluid variables and pulmonary function in patients with or without development of residual pleural thickening (RPT).
| RPT (+) | RPT (−) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| (n = 14) | (n = 28) | ||
| Effusion status | |||
| Effusion CXR score, %, mean ± SD | 71 ± 20 | 44 ± 12 | <0.001 |
| Loculation, n (%) | 14 (100) | 0 (0) | 0.002 |
| Pleural fluid | |||
| pH value | 7.27 (7.22–7.30) | 7.35 (7.25–7.39) | 0.013 |
| Glucose, mg/dL | 100 (73–140) | 106 (76–129) | 0.947 |
| LDH, IU/dL | 328 (229–666) | 289 (154–532) | 0.126 |
| Leukocyte count, cells/μL | 2840 (1521–4410) | 1437 (720–2000) | 0.028 |
| PAI-1, ng/mL | 143.1 (111.1–208.0) | 113.7 (78.0–122.5) | 0.043 |
| tPA, ng/mL | 10.4 (8.2–12.7) | 15.8 (4.8–21.0) | 0.028 |
| PAI-1/tPA ratio | 11.7 (5.0–16.7) | 5.2 (2.9–8.4) | <0.001 |
| IL-8, pg/mL | 419 (312–985) | 248 (96–502) | 0.025 |
| VEGF, pg/mL | 2054 (1909–3387) | 516 (274–693) | <0.001 |
| FVC, % predicted | |||
| At 6 months | 74 (73–75) | 80 (79–81) | <0.001 |
See Table 2 for definition of the abbreviations. RPT: residual pleural thickening ≥10 mm shown on CXR at the end of 6-month follow-up; FVC: forced vital capacity.
Data are presented as median (IQR) unless specified.