Abstract:

Pleural fluid and serum soluble Interleukin-2 receptors (sIL-2R) were measured by an enzyme-immunoassay in 13 patients with tuberculous pleurisy, in 28 patients with carcinomatous pleurisy and in 17 transudates from patients with congestive heart failure. Significantly higher values of sIL-2R were observed in exudative than in transudative (x̄ ± SLM = 713 ± 111 U/ml) pleural fluid samples, the highest being found in tuberculous (3777 ± 501 U/ml) and the intermediate in carcinomatous exudates (1981 ± 160 U/ml) (p < 0.0001, one way ANOVA). Serum sIL-2R were significantly higher in cacrinomatous and transudative groups than in age- and sex-matched controls (p < 0.002; one way ANOVA), while there was no significant difference between the tuberculous group and controls. The pleura/serum sIL-2R ratio was significantly higher in tuberculous (5.32 ± 0.60), than in carcinomatous pleurisy (2.67 ± 6.20) and higher still than in transudates (0.76 ± 0.10) (p < 0.001; one way ANOVA). In conclusion, the pleura/serum sIL-2R ratio may be a helpful parameter in differentiating tuberculous from carcinomatous pleurisy and an additional confirmatory one for distinguishing transudates from exudates.