Efficacy of adenosine deaminase in the diagnosis of pleural effusions
Gupta, D.K.; Suri, J.C.; Goel, A.
Indian Journal of Chest Diseases and Allied Sciences 32(4): 205-208
1990
ISSN/ISBN: 0377-9343 PMID: 2134231 Document Number: 361433
Adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity was studied in 53 patients with pleural effusions. Patients with tuberculous pleural effusion (36) had significantly higher ADA activity (77.68 IU/L; P less than 0.001) in comparison to malignant (14.47 IU/L) and parapneumonic (28.65 IU/L) effusions. When tested with a reference limit of over 50.75 IU/L, the specificity of ADA activity was found to be 94.1 per cent. With a sensitivity of 100 per cent, low cost and easy performance pleural fluid ADA activity is proposed as a routine investigation for etiological diagnosis in pleural effusion.