Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of the study population.
| Variables | Total, n=45 | Cryobiopsy, n=28 | Forceps biopsy, n=17 | p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, median (IQR) | 64.4 (55.4–76.4) | 64.6 (55.3–73.4) | 64.4 (55.4–77.6) | 0.590 |
| Male gender | 30 (66.7%) | 21 (75.0%) | 9 (52.9%) | 0.128 |
| Smoking status | ||||
| Currently smoke | 7 (15.6%) | 3 (10.7%) | 4 (23.5%) | 0.250 |
| Had quit smoke | 5 (11.1%) | 5 (17.9%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0.065 |
| Never smoke | 32 (71.1%) | 19 (67.9%) | 13 (76.5%) | 0.537 |
| Location of pleural effusion | ||||
| Right | 20 (40.0%) | 10 (35.7%) | 10 (58.8%) | 0.130 |
| Left | 18 (40.0%) | 14 (50.0%) | 4 (23.5%) | 0.079 |
| Bilateral | 7 (15.6%) | 4 (14.3%) | 3 (17.6%) | 0.763 |
| Pleural effusion LDH (mg/dL), median (IQR) | 394 (187–956) | 635 (275.3–1290.3) | 273 (143–501.5) | 0.030 |
| Pleural effusion total protein (mg/dL), median (IQR) | 4.5 (4.0–5.2) | 4.6 (4.0–5.1) | 4.5 (3.9–5.3) | 1.000 |
| Serum LDH (mg/dL), median (IQR) | 241.5 (199.8–315.5) | 242 (228.3–307.8) | 215.5 (179.8–321.2) | 0.370 |
| Serum total protein (mg/dL), median (IQR) | 6.8 (5.7–7.1) | 6.9 (6.3–7.2) | 6.2 (5.3–6.8) | 0.081 |
| Pleural effusion/serum LDH ratio | 2.49 ± 4.38 | 3.16 ± 5.46 | 1.42 ± 1.20 | 0.333 |
| Pleural effusion/serum total protein ratio | 0.67 ± 0.13 | 0.66 ± 0.14 | 0.67 ± 0.12 | 0.787 |