Pleural Fluid Amino Acids Contribute to Distinguishing Tuberculosis, Malignant, and Parapneumonic Pleural Effusion Patients.

Background: Differential diagnosis of pleural effusions poses a considerable challenge in clinical practice. In this study, we explored biomarkers in pleural fluid for distinguishing tuberculosis, malignant, and parapneumonic pleural effusion patients.

Methods: A total of 166 patients with exudative pleural effusion were collected, including 86 patients with tuberculosis pleural effusion (TPE), 52 patients with malignant pleural effusion (MPE), and 28 patients with parapneumonic effusion (PE).

Identification of Potential Biomarkers of EGFR Mutation in Pleural Effusion of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Based on Metabolomics.

Background: Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is a common complication of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients with NSCLC exhibit a high rate of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations. The detection of EGFR mutations is usually time-consuming and costly.