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Pleural fluid pseudouridine in malignant and benign pleural effusions
1Department of Chemical Pathology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong.
Annals of Clinical Biochemistry
|February 17, 1998
Summary
Pseudouridine in pleural fluid shows limited value for distinguishing malignant from non-malignant effusions. Elevated levels above 65 mumol/L may indicate malignancy, but significant overlap exists.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Oncology
- Pulmonology
Background:
- Pseudouridine is a known tumor marker in urine and plasma.
- Its utility in pleural fluid for diagnosing malignant effusions requires investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate pseudouridine in pleural fluid as a marker for differentiating malignant from benign pleural effusions.
- To assess the diagnostic accuracy of pleural fluid pseudouridine using receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.
Main Methods:
- Measured pleural fluid pseudouridine concentrations in patients with malignant, benign, and unknown pleural effusions.
- Compared pseudouridine levels between malignant and non-malignant groups.
- Analyzed diagnostic performance using ROC curve analysis.
Main Results:
- Pseudouridine concentrations were significantly higher in the malignant group compared to the non-malignant group (P < 0.017).
- Extensive overlap in pseudouridine values was observed between malignant and non-malignant effusions.
- The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.675 (P < 0.05), indicating limited diagnostic accuracy.
Conclusions:
- Pleural fluid pseudouridine has limited clinical value for distinguishing malignant from non-malignant pleural effusions due to significant overlap.
- A pleural fluid pseudouridine concentration exceeding 65 mumol/L may suggest malignancy, but this threshold has limitations.