Table 2.

Biochemical and cytological characteristics of pleural effusions*.

	TPE	Non-TPE	p value*
LDH (IU/l)	631.9 ± 19.7*	456.4 ± 17.5	≤ 0.0001
Protein (g/l)	39.2 ± 1.78	33.40 ± 1.14	0.0055

	TPE	MPE	EMP	PPE
LDH (IU/l)	631.9 ± 19.7†	382.8 ± 10.6	657.4 ± 18.2	413.2 ± 24.4
Protein (g/l)	39.2 ± 1.78†	33.0 ± 1.5	35.9 ± 2.3	31.8 ± 2.6
Differential cell counts, %
Lymphocytes cells	72.8 ± 1.07†	53.5 ± 0.7	14.4 ± 0.8†	19.3 ± 0.9†
Neutrophils cells	8 ± 0.4	5.9 ± 0.3	78.4 ± 0.9†	53.7 ± 1.1
Macrophage cells	12.5 ± 0.4†	31.2 ± 0.4†	5.7 ± 0.5†	8.6 ± 0.5
Mesothelial cells	3.1 ± 0.2†	6.6 ± 0.3†	5.7 ± 0.3†	1.6 ± 0.3†
Malignant cells	–	3.5 ± 0.3	–	–

*Values are presented as mean ± standard error of the mean (SEM). Comparisons of data between TPE and non-TPE groups were performed using Student’s t test.

^†Values are shown as mean ± SEM.

TPE tuberculous pleural effusion, MPE malignant pleural effusion, EMP Empyema, PPE Parapneumonic.