Diagnostic vaslues of vascular endothelital growth factor and Creactive protein in differentiating tuberculosis and malignant pleural effusion

Objective To explore the clinical validity of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) and C-reactive protein(CRP) in discriminating tuberculosis pleuritis(TBP) and malignant pleural effusion(MPE).Methods The pleural fluid and serum VEGF and CRP were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoturbidimetric method,respectively.Results VEGF levels in the serum and pleural effusion were significantly higher in the patients with malignant pleural effusion than those in the patients with tuberculosis pleural effusion((0.194)±(0.254)) μg/L and((2.824)±(11.441)) μg/L vs((0.009)±(0.309)) μg/L and((0.099)±(0.143)) μg/L(P(0.001)).The ratio of VEGF in pleural effusion to that in serum was significantly different between malignant pleural effusion and tuberculosis pleural effusion((19.26)±(65.50)) vs((1.38)±(2.00))(P(0.001));pleural effusion CRP levels were significantly higher in the patients with tuberculosis pleural effusion than those in the patients with malignant pleural effusion((24.89)±(54.5)) mg/L vs((12.52)±(18.70)) mg/L(P(0.001)),the ratio of CRP in pleural effusion to that in serum was different between malignant pleural effusion and tuberculosis pleural effusion((0.44)±(0.97)) vs((0.66)±(1.33))(P(0.05)).The sensitivity,specitivity and accuracy of combinative detecting VEGF and CRP in pleural effusion and VEGF in serum were(83.3%),(100.0%),(92.1%),respectively,for malignant pleural effusion.Conclusion The combinated detection of VEGF and CRP has diagnostic values in differentiating tuberculosis and malignant pleural effusion.