PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Marcia Seiscento
AU  - Francisco Vargas
AU  - Roberta Sales
AU  - Lisete Teixeira
AU  - Juliana Puka
AU  - Milena Acencio
AU  - Leila Antonangelo
TI  - Serum and pleural fluid cytokines in pleural tuberculosis with and without lung parenchyma involvement
DP  - 2011 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - p2669
VI  - 38
IP  - Suppl 55
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p2669.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p2669.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2011 Sep 01; 38
AB  - Pleural tuberculosis (PT) is frequent form of extrapulmonary disease. In the pleural cavity, activated T lymphocytes produce cytokines in response to the mycobacteria and its antigens. Lung parenchyma can be concomitantly involved in up to 40% of cases.Objective: To compare serum (S) and pleural fluid (PF) levels of inflammatory mediators in patients with PT in order to verify if lung-associated involvement influences the magnitude of the inflammatory response.Methods: A prospective study of 39 patients with pleural (20) or pleuropulmonary (19) tuberculosis was conducted. IL-8, VEGF, TNF-α, and TGF-β1 were quantified by ELISA.Results The proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-8 were higher in PF than in S of patients with the pleural form, while only IL-8 was higher in the pleuropulmonary form. Only PF TNF-α was capable to discriminate both forms of TB disease.View this table:Pleural and Serum variables analyzed in patients with pleural and pleuropulmonary tuberculosisConclusion: Although TNF-α levels had been higher in the PF of patients with PT and lung involvement, we suggest its dosage in association with computed tomography in order to identify these patients, since they represent potential source of infection and disease spread.