Use of pleural fluid C-reactive protein in diagnosis of pleural effusions

The aims of the study were to assess whether C-reactive protein (CRP) is a sensitive marker for discriminating between transudative and exudative and pleural effusions to evaluate whether it can be used to distinguish inflamm atory pleural effusions from other types of effusion. Pleural fluid and ser um CRP levels were obtained in 97 patients with pleural effusion, using an immunoturbidimetric method (Olympus AU-600 autoanalyser). We compared CRP l evels between transudates and exudates, inflammatory effusions and other ty pes of effusion. According to the criteria used, 16 patients were included in the transudate group and 81 patients in the exudate group. Pleural fluid CRP levels were significantly lower in the transudate group (P < 0.04; 14. 9 +/- 4.9 mg l(-1) and 35.5 +/- 4.9 mg l(-1) respectively). Also, the ratio of pleural fluid to serum was significantly lower in the transudate group (P < 0.009 0.8 +/- 0.5 mg l(-1) and 2.8 +/- 0.7 mg l(-1), respectively). In the exudate group, 35 patients had neoplastic effusions, 10 chronic non-sp ecific pleurisy, 19 tuberculous pleurisy, 16 parapneumonic effusion and one Dressier Syndrome. When these sub-groups were compared, the parapneumonic effusion subgroup CRP levels (mean 89 +/- 16.3 mg l(-1)) were significantly higher than those in the other subgroups, other exudate of neoplastic effu sion. tuberculous pleurisy and chronic non-specific effusion and the transu date group (P < 0.0001; P < 0.0001; P < 0.0004 and P < 0.0001. respectively ). The ratio between pleural fluid and serum CRP was significantly higher i n the parapneumonic effusion subgroup than in the neoplastic subgroup (P < 0.0002; 6.6 +/- 2.7 mgl(-1) and 1 +/- 0.2 mg l(-1), respectively). Pleural fluid CRP levels >30 mg l(-1) ! had a high sensitivity (93.7%) and specific ity (76.5%) and a positive predictive value of 98.4%. In the differential d iagnosis of pleural effusions, higher CRP levels may prove to be a rapid, p ractical and accurate method of differentiating parapneumonic effusions fro m other exudate types. Although the high level of CRP obtained in the exuda te group may be due to the number of patients with parapneumonic effusion w ho were included, the pleural CRP level may also be helpful in discriminati ng between exudative and transudative pleural effusions.