[Adenosine deaminase 2 in the diagnosis of tuberculous pleuritis].

Purpose: We examined the usefulness of adenosine deaminase 2 (ADA2) in the diagnosis of tuberculous pleuritis.

Subjects: A hundred cases, 78 male and 22 female, with pleural effusion were examined. With regard to pleural effusion, 18 cases were transudate and 82 cases (9 tuberculous pleuritis, 27 lung cancer, 8 mesothelioma, 5 malignant diseases except lung cancer and mesothelioma, 5 benign asbestos pleurisy, 10 empyema, 10 parapneumonic effusion, one SLE, one parasitic infection, and 6 undetermined etiology) were exudates.