Diagnostic Accuracy with Total Adenosine Deaminase as a Biomarker for Discriminating Pleural Transudates and Exudates in a Population-Based Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: An initial step in the evaluation of patients with pleural effusion syndrome (PES) is to determine whether the pleural fluid is a transudate or an exudate. OBJECTIVES: To investigate total adenosine deaminase (ADA) as a biomarker to classify pleural transudates and exudates. METHODS: An assay of total ADA in pleural fluids (P-ADA) was observed using a commercial kit in a population-based cohort study. RESULTS: 157 pleural fluid samples were collected from untreated individuals with PES due to several causes. The cause most prevalent in transudate samples (21%, n = 33/157) was congestive heart failure (79%, 26/33) and that among exudate samples (71%, n = 124/157) was tuberculosis (28.0%, 44/124). There was no significant difference in the proportion of either sex between the transudate and exudate groups. The median values of P-ADA were significantly different (P < 0.0001) between both total exudates (18.4 U/L; IQR, 9.85-41.4) and exudates without pleural tuberculosis (11.0 U/L; IQR, 7.25-19.75) and transudates (6.85; IQR, 2.67-11.26). For exudates, the AUC was 0.820 (95% CI, 0.751-0.877; P < 0.001), with excellent discrimination. The optimum cut-off point in the ROC curve was determined as the level that provided the maximum positive likelihood ratio (PLR; 14.64; 95% CI, 2.11-101.9) and was22.0 U/L. For transudates, the AUC was 0.8245 (95% CI, 0.7470-0.9020; P < 0.0001). Internal validation of the AUC after 1000 resamples was evaluated with a tolerance minor than 2%. The clinical utility was equal to 92% (95% CI, 0.84 to 0.96, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: P-ADA is a useful biomarker for distinguishing pleural exudates from transudates.

Increased Cytokeratin 19 Fragment Levels Are Positively Correlated with Adenosine Deaminase Activity in Malignant Pleural Effusions from Adenocarcinomas.

Adenosine deaminase (ADA) and cytokeratin 19 (CK19) are known pleural biomarkers. Although ADA in humans functions mainly in the immune system, it also appears to be associated with the differentiation of epithelial cells. Keratin filaments are important structural stabilizers of epithelial cells and potent biomarkers in epithelial differentiation. This study aimed to investigate the simultaneous presence of the ADA enzyme and CK19 fragments to assess epithelial differentiation in malignant and benign pleural fluids. Diagnosis of the cause of pleural effusion syndrome was confirmed by means of standard examinations and appropriate surgical procedures. An ADA assay, in which ADA irreversibly catalyzes the conversion of adenosine into inosine, was performed using a commercial kit. The CK19 assay was performed using a CYFRA 21-1 kit, developed to detect quantitative soluble fragments of CK19 using an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. One hundred nineteen pleural fluid samples were collected from untreated individuals with pleural effusion syndrome due to several causes. ADA levels only correlated with CK19 fragments in adenocarcinomas, with high significance and good correlation (rho = 0.5145, P = 0.0036). However, further studies are required to understand this strong association on epithelial differentiation in metastatic pleural fluids from adenocarcinomas.

[Endocrine and metabolic expression in bronchogenic carcinoma]. / Expressão hormonal e metabólica dos carcinomas broncogénicos.

In the present paper, the authors reviews the endocrine and metabolic manifestations in bronchogenic carcinoma. Disorders as paraneoplastic syndromes (hypercalcemia, syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone, carcinoid and Cushing's syndromes) and others endocrinopathies are discussed. Hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy is briefly reviewed.

[Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS): criteria for selecting patient in Antonio Pedro Hospital, Federal Fluminense University, Niter i city, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil]. / Cirurgia redutora de volume pulmonar: critérios de seleção de pacientes no Hospital Universitário Antônio Pedro, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, RJ.

BACKGROUND: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (CPOD) is an important problem in Brazil and other countries. The clinical treatment of ambulatory patients is now reasonably standardized. Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) is an alternative of surgical treatment of emphysema (aside from lung transplantation). OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to analyse patient selection criteria for LVRS. METHODS: This study was carried out using a sample of 31 patients referred to and given assistance to at the Smoking and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Outpatient Ward Antonio Pedro Hospital, who were evaluated to check whether or not they could be eligible for LVRS. Aiming at evaluating the major criteria for eligibility for LVRS, the patients underwent a protocol including standardized anamnesis and physical examination, spirometry with maximum inspiratory and expiratory flow volume curves associated with post-bronchodilatator test, room air arterial blood gases, a six-minute walking test, plain chest roentgenograms and left lateral chest roentgenograms, high-resolution chest computed tomographic scans and lung perfusion scans. Statistical analysis was conducted with description of data proportions. RESULTS: Contraindications to surgery included chronic bronchitis (29% or nine patients), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV 1) more than 80 percent predicted (13% or four patients), negative consent for surgery (10% or three patients), fibrosis pattern, severe depression and bronchiectasis (two patients each one), solitary pulmonary nodule, severe obesity, severe bullous emphysema, pulmonary hipertension, pulmonary resection history, current cigarette smoking, diffuse emphysema with alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency and severe cardiac disease (one patient each). Indication. One selected patient with severe symptoms of emphysema met criteria for LVRS (bilateral superior lobe heterogeneous pattern of emphysema on chest computed tomography and lung perfusion scan). CONCLUSIONS: Chronic bronchitis was the major isolated factor to contraindicate LVRS. Most patients who fit the criteria for the surgery performance refused to undergo the LVRS for fear of the surgery and after pulmonary rehabilitation. The most important criteria for LVRS is bilateral superior lobe heterogeneous pattern of emphysema.

[Evaluation of coefficient of variation of age in pleural effusion in António Pedro Hospital, Niterói city, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil]. / Avaliação do coeficiente de variação da idade dos pacientes com síndroma de derrame pleural no Hospital Universitário António Pedro, cidade de Niterói, estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.

Pleural effusion is a frequent syndrome in Brazil. Tuberculosis is the most prevalent (P) cause. The coefficient of variation (CV) is a useful single measure of variability. The objective of the present work was to evaluate the coefficient of variation in pleural effusion, having as variable the age. 215 patients had appeared after diagnostic physician and for image of syndrome of pleural effusions. Diagnostic thoracentesis, tests on pleural fluid and others invasive surgical procedures to the approach to a patient with pleural effusion. Tuberculosis (P=56.0%; CV=39,7%), adenocarcinoma (P=11.0%; CV=25.1%), transudates (P=12.0%; CV=19.6%), lymphomas (P=2.0%; CV=34.6%), systemic lupus erythematosus (P=2.0%; CV=38.7%), empyema pleural not tuberculosis (P=5.0%; CV=42.2%), pulmonary infarction (P=4.0 %; CV=30.1%) and parapneumonic (P=4.0 %; CV=38.9%) are the causes more prevalent. The analysis on the date showed that the coefficient of variation of age in pleural effusions was high and very high. The values of the coefficient of variation translate a high degree of dispersion of the age of the patients in each cause of pleural effusion.