Table 1.
Comparison of the parameters of the five different types of pleural effusion
| TPE (n = 33) | MPE (n = 25) | PPE (n = 46) | PE caused by CTDs (n = 8) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPPE (n = 19) | UPPE (n = 27) | ||||
| Demographic data: | |||||
| Age, years | 48 (17–86) | 66 (42–90) | 60 (37–79) | 62 (25–88) | 57.5 (44–82) |
| Male blood biomarkers: | 22 (66.7%) | 13 (52.0%) | 17 (89.47%) | 17 (62.96%) | 3 (37.5%) |
| WBC, cells/μL | 5500 (2700–10,400) | 6700** (3800–16,000) | 9790** (4400–30,700) | 8260** (4000–16,100) | 6385 (3600–10,100) |
| CRP, mg/L | 37.75 (3.77–135.87) | 24.22 (0.76–128.03) | 108.79** (23–208.1) | 41.4 (1.08–293.4) | 5.14** (0.32–19.28) |
| S-Alb, g/dL | 33.3 (24.6–40.3) | 33.7 (23.1–44.3) | 31.8 (24.2–39.3) | 31.8 (23.7–40.8) | 34.8 (23.3–40.6) |
| S-LDH, U/L | 161 (97–605) | 172 (120–302) | 169 (120–860) | 186 (108–990) | 199.5 (144–455) |
| Pleural fluid biomarkers | |||||
| Total cell counts, cells/ul | 4800 (416–20,000) | 4120 (500–197,164) | 7007 (950–290,000) | 2400 (120–500,000) | 1604 (100–9885) |
| pH | 7.5 (1–8.5) | 7 (5.5–8.7) | 7 (6–8.5) | 7.5 (6.5–9) | 7.55 (6.5–8.5) |
| TP, g/dL | 49.2 (27.4–59.6) | 47.8 (30.9–60.6) | 45.3 (5.1–62.3) | 33.6** (15.9–58.3) | 40.05 (15.5–54.1) |
| PF-Alb, g/dL | 27.1 (18.2–34.7) | 27.5 (17–34.7) | 23.4* (2.7–31.5) | 20** (1.9–43.7) | 22* (9–25.4) |
| Glu, mmol/L | 4.96 (0.16–11.1) | 5.84 (2.67–11.03) | 2.95 (0.09–11.86) | 6.77** (0.25–12.78) | 6.125* (5.29–12) |
| PF-LDH, U/L | 532 (144–1783) | 377 (150–2078) | 1607** (731–10,613) | 277** (68–1169) | 136.5** (62–354) |
| ADA, U/L | 48 (20.6–81.5) | 8.9** (5.1–25.4) | 32.9 (12–115.4) | 8.9** (1.4–19.5) | 11.2** (1.2–22.4) |
| Ratios between two biomarkers: only the parameters with P value < 0.01 between any two groups are included | |||||
| WBC/CRP | 123.82 (26.5–1298.1) | 307.89 (87.62–8026.32) | 112.63 (53.34–363.91) | 202.81 (27.88–4259.26) | 1206.23 (254.15–24,062.50) |
| WBC/TP | 113.38 (77.09–204.38) | 146.63 (94.13–393.12) | 217.62 (132.13–5039.22) | 257.86** (88.80–763.44) | 135.21 (93.26–651.61) |
| WBC/PF-Alb | 201.33 (118.77–352.54) | 255.73 (155.20–804.02) | 509.32** (221.11–9518.52) | 400.00** (169.12–3789.47) | 304.03 (145.16–1122.22) |
| WBC/Glu | 1138.06 (444.44–17,837.84) | 1244.90 (536.91–5914.29) | 3627.12 (758.85–122,280.95) | 1293.63 (328.64–28,800) | 861.09 (573.25–1909.26) |
| WBC/PF-LDH | 11.02 (1.51–38.19) | 20.27 (2.94–85.33) | 6.15** (1.92–13.12) | 37.56** (6.95–135.29) | 42.43 (17.51–124.19) |
| WBC/ADA | 119.80 (41.1–271.84) | 648.94 ** (194.87–2509.80) | 325.23 (140.81–744.93) | 957.27** (369.23–4272.72) | 473.78 (264.79–8416.67) |
| CRP/TP | 0.83 (0.08–2.91) | 0.55 (0.02–3.15) | 2.44 (0.37–34.95) | 1.20 (0.02–10.92) | 0.17 (0.01–0.0.44) |
| CRP/PF-Alb | 1.47 (0.15–6.97) | 0.89 (0.03–6.43) | 4.72** (0.73–66.02) | 2.22 (0.04–55.97) | 0.32 (0.01–0.79) |
| CRP/ADA | 0.89 (0.14–3.94) | 1.97 (0.08–16.06) | 3.75 (0.55–10.73) | 6.85 (0.09–105.04) | 0.58 (0.11–2.40) |
| CRP/Glu | 9.55 (0.69–179.08) | 4.21 (0.10–45.73) | 38.7 (6.54–891.44) | 5.50 (0.13–425.40) | 0.86** (0.03–3.42) |
| TP/PF-Alb | 1.8 (1.01–2.39) | 1.74 (1.42–2.76) | 1.89 (1.63–2.54) | 1.71 (0.55–8.89) | 1.83 (1.36–2.63) |
| TP/Glu | 9.61 (4.52–212.5) | 7.81 (3.91–15.58) | 14.96 (3.95–412.22) | 5.05** (1.52–67.6) | 6.31 (2.44–9.08) |
| TP/ADA | 0.98 (0.52–2.42) | 5.24 (1.60–9.37) | 1.20 (0.15–3.34) | 4.28** (1.2–11.36) | 3.94 (2.28–12.92) |
| PF-Alb/Glu | 5.69 (2.38–113.75) | 4.27 (1.94–10.94) | 6.51 (2.08–162.22) | 2.59** (1.03–8.71) | 3.47** (1.7–4.31) |
| PF-Alb/ADA | 0.56 (0.28–1.29) | 2.77 (0.78–5.29) | 1.20 (0.15–3.34) | 2.43** (0.19–8) | 2.22** (0.92–7.5) |
| PF-LDH/TP | 11.43 (2.67–52.44) | 7.45 (3.14–49.95) | 6.51 (2.08–162.22) | 6.60 (3.21–61.3) | 3.314 (1.97–9.35) |
| PF-LDH/CRP | 15.66 (2.79–159.42) | 12.88 (1.95–1109.71) | 17.15 (4.48–117.26) | 8.69 (0.62–198.15) | 36.36 (8.09–193.75) |
| PF-LDH/PF-Alb | 17.74 (4.43–97.97) | 12.63 (5.45–80.80) | 72.92** (27.17–1245.56) | 10.37 (5.95–545.26) | 6.07* (2.87–17.18) |
| PF-LDH/Glu | 106.02 (21.98–11,143.75) | 54.25 (18.46–778.28) | 767.32 (75.89–36,596.55) | 35.62 (8.69–4144.00) | 23.67 (5.17–59.4) |
| PF-LDH/ADA | 12.27 (4.48–29.34) | 38.23 (8.31–183.89) | 62.97 (29.87–133.92) | 32.92** (12.14–101.57) | 14.00 (7.43–120.83) |
| ADA/Glu | 9.58 (2.69–410.63) | 1.29 (0.70–9.07) | 12.12 (1.72–397.93) | 1.25** (0.21–40.8) | 1.59** (0.23–3.76) |
Continuous variables are presented as the median (range), and qualitative variables are presented as the number (percentage). For the ratios between two biomarkers, only the parameters with P value < 0.01 between any two groups are included
TPE tuberculous pleural effusion, MPE malignant pleural effusion, CPPE complicated parapneumonic effusion, UPPE uncomplicated parapneumonic effusion, CTDs connective tissue diseases. Blood parameters: CRP C-reactive protein, S-Alb serum albumin, S-LDH serum lactate dehydrogenase, WBC white blood cells. Pleural fluid parameters: ADA adenosine deaminase, Glu glucose, PF-Alb pleural fluid albumin, PF-LDH pleural fluid lactate dehydrogenase, TP total protein
*This parameter showed a significant difference between the investigated and TPE groups, P < 0.01
**P < 0.001