https://doi.org/10.4081/monaldi.2022.2059

Role of CRP as a marker for discrimination of exudative and transudative pleural effusion

Cancer Research UK / Wikimedia Commons
Vol. 92 No. 4 (2022)
Submitted: August 27, 2021
Accepted: March 10, 2022
Published: March 14, 2022
CRP, pleural effusion, exudate, transudate
Abstract Views: 1201
PDF: 374
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Authors

Omid Rismantab
Department of Internal Medicine, Air pollution and Respiratory Diseases Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
Seyed Aili Javad Moosavi
Air Pollution Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Mohammad Reza Farahnak
Thoracic Surgery Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
Maryam Dastoorpoor
Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Air Pollution and Respiratory Diseases Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
Hanieh Raji
dr.raji.h@gmail.com
Department of Internal Medicine, Air pollution and Respiratory Diseases Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.

Differentiation between exudative and transudative pleural effusion is sometime problematic. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of C-reactive protein (CRP) in differentiation of exudative and transudative pleural effusion. This is an analytical epidemiologic cross-sectional study that evaluates the role of CRP in differentiating transudative and exudative pleural effusion. Patients were divided into two groups of exudates and transudates, based on Light’s criteria. The pleural effusion CRP levels were compared between the two groups. SPSS software version 16 was used for statistical analysis. The significance level was considered p<0.05. A total of 169 patients with pleural effusion enrolled in the study. Based on Light's criteria, 108 patients (63.9%) had exudative pleural effusion and 61 (36.1%) had transudative pleural effusion. The level of CRP in the pleural fluid of patients in the exudative and transudative groups was 13.3±37.1 and 3.5±4.3mg/dl, respectively (p=0.008). The 3.31 mg/dl cut-off point of CRP level of pleural effusion had the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of 96.3%, 72.1%, 86% and 91.7% respectively.  The results obtained in our study shows that the level of CRP in the effusion fluid can be helpful in differentiating exudative from transudative pleural effusions.

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How to Cite

Rismantab, Omid, Seyed Aili Javad Moosavi, Mohammad Reza Farahnak, Maryam Dastoorpoor, and Hanieh Raji. 2022. “Role of CRP As a Marker for Discrimination of Exudative and Transudative Pleural Effusion”. Monaldi Archives for Chest Disease 92 (4). https://doi.org/10.4081/monaldi.2022.2059.
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