%0 Journal Article %A Soroush Seifirad %A Setareh Davoudi %A Reihaneh Mohsenipour %A Farzad Masoudkabir %A Abbas Salehi Omran %T Diagnostic value of gamma interferon assay in tuberculosis pericardial effusions: Study on a cohort of Iranian patients %D 2012 %J European Respiratory Journal %P P422 %V 40 %N Suppl 56 %X BACKGROUND: The efficacy of Interferon-gamma (INF-gamma) and adenosine deaminase (ADA) for diagnosing tuberculosis pericarditis in a cohort of Iranian patients presenting with pericarditis were evaluated. METHODS: Thirty eight patients with presentation of pericarditis underwent diagnostic and therapeutic pericardiostomy with drainage and biopsy. Adenosine deaminase and Interferon-gamma levels were determined in pericardial fluid samples of all patients. Pericardial tissue samples were submitted for histopathologic and microbiologic studies. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed on all pericardial fluid samples to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis. RESULTS: Among 38 patients with pericarditis, 7 cases were diagnosed as tuberculosis pericarditis (18.4%). Mean concentration of Interferon-gamma in tuberculosis group was significantly higher compared to non-tuberculosis group (69257.14±43427.8 vs. 329.03±433.7, P< 0.000). ROC showed a value of 14400pg/L as cutoff point for INF-gamma with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 100% for diagnosing tuberculosis pericardial effusion. adenosine deaminase was not found to be significantly higher in tuberculosis group in comparison with non- tuberculosis causes of pericardial effusion (35.7±23.8 vs. 36.03±72.27, P=0.28). CONCLUSIONS: According to the results of this study Interferon-gamma showed to be a valuable diagnostic test for detection of tuberculosis pericarditis, while adenosine deaminase measurement did not prove to have the characteristics of an accurate diagnostic test for tuberculosis pericarditis. %U https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/erj/40/Suppl_56/P422.full.pdf