Publication: Lysozyme levels for the diagnosis of tuberculous effusions in children
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Date
2000
Authors
Journal Title
Journal of Tropical Pediatrics
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Abstract
Lysozyme level was measured in the fluid and serum of 42 tuberculous (25 pleural, 11 ascites and 6 pericardial) and 29 non-tuberculous (5 malignant, 9 empyema thoracis, 10 transudative ascites and 5 pyopericardium) effusions. The mean fluid lysozyme level was significantly raised in tuberculous pleural, ascites, and pericardial effusions in comparison to malignant pleural (p< 0.001), transudative ascites (p < 0.001), and pyopericardium (p < 0.02) cases, respectively. The mean fluid/serum lysozyme ratio did not differ significantly between tuberculous and their corresponding non-tuberculous effusions. The confirmed tuberculous pleural effusion patients had significantly higher mean fluid lysozyme level and fluid/serum lysozyme ratio when compared with clinical cases (p < 0.05). The cut-off fluid lysozyme level of ≥50/UI-1 and fluid/serum lysozyme ratio of ≥1.1 were considered for the diagnosis of tuberculous effusions; the sensitivity and specificity of fluid lysozyme and fluid/serum lysozyme ratios were 100, 100 per cent, and 97.6, 33.3 per cent, respectively, on excluding the patients with purulent effusions. A significant correlation was observed between the fluid and serum lysozyme levels in tuberculous effusions (r = 0.39, p < 0.01). Thus, fluid lysozyme was found to be a better and reliable test than fluid/serum lysozyme ratio for the diagnosis of tuberculous effusions in children.