[Gamma-interferon and adenosine deaminase in the diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy]

Abstract

The paper compares the characteristics of the informative value of tests determining the activity of adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity and the level of gamma-interferon (gamma-IFN) for the differential diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy (n = 35) and non-tuberculous pleural effusion (n = 53). Both tests were ascertained to have the similar differentially diagnostic capacities with their threshold values of 35 U/l and 180 pg/ ml, respectively. At the same time, the sensitivity and specificity of the ADA test were 98.4% and these of the gamma-IFN test were 94.3 and 96.2%, respectively, with the positive and negative predictive value being 91.3 and 98.3% and 94.3 and 96.2%, respectively, and with the diagnostic value of 94.5% for the ADA test and 96.4% for the gamma-IFN test. There was a high unidirectionality of changes in both values: it was higher than the cut-off points in 94.1% of the patients with tuberculous pleurisy and below them in 88.7% of those with other pleural effusions.