Adenosine deaminase activity in pleural fluid--a diagnostic test of tuberculous pleural effusion
Prasad, R.; Tripathi, R.P.; Mukerji, P.K.; Singh, M.; Srivastava, V.M.
Indian Journal of Chest Diseases and Allied Sciences 34(3): 123-126
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0377-9343 PMID: 1302219 Document Number: 393902
Adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity in pleural fluids was studied in 47 patients with pleural effusion of different etiology. Patients were divided into two groups: Group I - Tuberculous pleural effusion (21 patients): Group II - Non tuberculous effusion (26 patients) and these included malignant pleural effusion (9 cases), synpneumonic pleural effusion (9 cases) and transudative pleural effusion (8 cases). The mean ADA activity was 64.67 IU/L +/- 21.68 in group I and 6.99 +/- 3.69 in Group II. Increased mean pleural fluid ADA activity in tuberculous pleural effusion was highly significant (p < 0.001) when compared with pleural effusion of non-tuberculous etiology. Based on lowest value of ADA activity found in tuberculous pleural effusion (30 IU/L), the test has a sensitivity and specificity of 1.