Pleural Tuberculosis Patients Research Articles

Detection of MPT-64 protein in pleural tuberculosis cases by magnetic bead-gold nanoparticle-PCR amplified immunoassay.

Diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis (TB) is challenging; thus, an efficient method is urgently needed. We developed a magnetic-bead-gold nanoparticle-PCR amplified immunoassay (MB-AuNP-I-PCR, liquid system) to detect the Mycobacterium tuberculosis MPT-64 protein in pleural TB patients. AuNPs functionalized with detection antibodies/oligonucleotides were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, Transmission/Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer, ELISA, and PCR, whereas MBs conjugated with detection antibodies were validated by magneto-ELISA/UV-vis spectroscopy. We utilized the MB-AuNP-I-PCR for MPT-64 detection in 99 clinical specimens which displayed 85.2% sensitivity and 97.8% specificity to diagnose pleural TB cases. Markedly, the sensitivity achieved by MB-AuNP-I-PCR was noticeably higher (p < 0.01) than magneto-ELISA and GeneXpert. This is a preliminary report to diagnose pleural TB cases by MB-AuNP-I-PCR with promising results that require further corroboration in a higher number of specimens.

Diagnostic accuracy of Lipoarabinomannan detection by lateral flow assay in pleural tuberculosis

BackgroundLipoarabinomannan (LAM) antigen serves as an attractive biomarker to diagnose Tuberculosis (TB). Given the limitations of current diagnostic modalities for Pleural TB, current study evaluated LAM’s potential to serve as a point-of-care test to diagnose pleural TB.MethodsA cross sectional, diagnostic accuracy study was conducted during February to November 2021 in a tertiary care hospital in India. LAM antigen detection was performed on pleural fluid as well as early morning urine specimen of suspected pleural TB patients by “Alere/ Abott Determine TB LAM” lateral flow assay (LAM-LFA). The results were compared to microbiological reference standards/MRS (Mycobacterial culture or NAAT) and Composite reference standards/CRS (MRS plus Clinico-radiological diagnosis).ResultsA total of 170 subjects were included in the analysis, including 26 with Definite TB, 22 with Probable TB, and 122 with No TB. Compared to MRS and CRS, the sensitivity (61.54% & 45.83%) and positive predictive value (PPV) (57.14 & 78.57%) of Pleural LAM-LFA testing were found to be suboptimal, whereas the specificity (91.67% & 95.08%) and negative predictive value (NPV) (92.96% & 81.69%) of the assay were found to be good. Urinary LAM-LFA performed even worse than pleural LAM-LFA, except for its higher specificity against MRS and CRS (97.2% and 98.3%, respectively). Specificity and PPV of pleural LAM detection increased to 100% when analysed in a subgroup of patients with elevated ADA levels (receiver operating curve analysis-derived cut off value > 40 IU/ml).ConclusionDetection of LAM antigen by LFA directly from pleural fluid was found to be a useful test to predict absence of the disease if the test is negative rather than using as a POCT for diagnosis.

Use of Pleural Fluid Digital PCR Analysis to Improve the Diagnosis of Pleural Tuberculosis.

The diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis (TB) remains difficult due to the paucity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in pleural fluid (PF). This study aimed to improve pleural TB diagnosis using highly sensitive digital PCR (dPCR) technique. A total of 310 patients with evidence of PF were consecutively enrolled, 183 of whom suffered from pleural TB and 127 from non-TB. PF samples were prospectively collected and total DNA was extracted. The copy numbers of M. tuberculosis insertion sequence (IS) 6110 and IS1081 in DNA were quantified using dPCR. The overall area under the curve of IS6110-dPCR was greater than that of IS1081-dPCR (0.85 versus 0.79). PF IS6110 OR IS1081-dPCR (according to their cut-off values, "positive" was defined as either of them was positive, while "negative" was defined as both of them were negative) had higher sensitivity and equal specificity compared with single target-dPCR. The sensitivity of PF IS6110 OR IS1081-dPCR for total, definite, and probable pleural TB was 59.0% (95% CI = 51.5% to 66.2%), 72.8% (95% CI = 62.6% to 81.6%), and 45.1% (95% CI = 34.6% to 55.8%), respectively. Its specificity was 100% (95% CI = 97.1% to 100.0%). PF IS6110 OR IS1081-dPCR showed a higher sensitivity than smear microscopy (57.4% versus 7.1%), mycobacterial culture (55.3% versus 31.8%), and Xpert MTB/RIF (57.6% versus 23.0%). Long antituberculosis treatment time (>1 month) was found to be associated with negative dPCR results in pleural TB patients. This study indicates that PF IS6110 OR IS1081-dPCR is an accurate molecular assay, which is more sensitive than routine etiological tests and has the potential to enhance the definite diagnosis of pleural TB. IMPORTANCE Pleural TB is one of the most frequent causes of pleural effusion, especially in areas with high burden of TB. Due to the paucibacillary nature of the disease, the diagnostic sensitivities of all available bacteriological and molecular tests remain poor. There is an urgent need to develop new efficient methods. Digital PCR (dPCR) is the third generation of PCR that enables the exact quantification of trace nucleic acids in samples. This study evaluates the diagnostic performance of pleural fluid (PF) dPCR analysis for pleural TB, and shows that PF IS6110 OR IS1081-dPCR has a higher sensitivity than routine etiological tests such as smear microscopy, mycobacterial culture, and Xpert MTB/RIF. This work provides a new choice for improving the definite diagnosis of pleural TB.

Is GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay reliable for the diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis?

Introduction: Tuberculosis is the most common cause of infectious diseases related mortality globally. Tuberculous pleural effusion is a common presentation of extra pulmonary tuberculosis and a diagnostic challenge most of the time. The rapid diagnosis of tuberculous pleural effusion is essential for early treatment. GeneXpert is a new tool for rapid diagnosis but the ability to correctly diagnose of GeneXpert is a vital concern in the diagnosis of extra pulmonary tuberculosis.&#x0D; Objective: To determine the accurate ability of diagnosing the pleural fluid GeneXpert MTB/RIF assessment in the suspected pleural tuberculosis patients considering as gold standard to the pleural biopsy.&#x0D; Methods: This study was a validational cross sectional survey and it was conducted in pulmonology department of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad from 1st July to 31st December 2018 after approval of IRB. Participants with suspected pathology ≥ 18 year with exudative pleural effusion were included in the study. By implementing the process of standard technique, closed needle pleural biopsy was executed by means of ABRAM’S needle. The collected samples of patients were sent to the pathology department of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences for histopathology. Pleural fluid was referred to National Institute of Health Islamabad for GeneXpert MTB/RIF assessment on the alike day and reports were assembled. All findings were entered in a structured Proforma. Data was entered in SPSS version 20 and analyzed.&#x0D; Results: Total 180 patients were included; 65.6% patients were male. When the sensitivity of pleural fluid GeneXpert MTB/RIF examination was calculated it was 10.4% whereas, the calculated specificity was 72.8%. While +ve predictive value of GeneXpert was 22.2% and -ve predictive value was 52.1%. Likelihood ratio was 8.25 and ROC curve also showed similar values. &#x0D; Conclusion: The sensitivity of pleural fluid GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay is very low and specificity is moderate for diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis when compared with pleural biopsy.

Clinical relevance of false-negative interferon-gamma release assays in patients with tuberculous pleurisy in an intermediate tuberculosis burden country

BackgroundThere have been few studies to verify factors associated with a false-negative interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) in patients with tuberculous pleurisy. We investigated the clinical relevance of false-negative results of the blood QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT) assay and its risk factors in patients diagnosed with pleural tuberculosis (TB).MethodsMedical records of 650 pleural TB patients in a tertiary hospital between January 2009 and December 2020 were reviewed retrospectively. Patients who underwent the blood QFT-GIT assay and pleural fluid analysis before starting anti-TB medication were included.ResultsOf 199 patients with pleural TB who were performed QFT-GIT assay, 36 (18.1%) were false-negative results. These patients tended to be older than those with a positive result (P=0.060). The QFT-GIT-false-negative group of had significantly more comorbidities such as end-stage renal disease (ESRD), haematological cancer or pneumoconiosis than the QFT-GIT-positive group. Hypoproteinaemia and pH >6 in pleural fluid were associated with a false-negative QFT-GIT. Of the 199 patients, 163 (81.9%) were cured or completed anti-TB treatment; 13 patients (6.5%) died. The QFT-GIT-negative patients had significantly worse outcomes including mortality [unfavourable outcome: 33.3% (12/36 patients) in QFT-GIT-negative groups vs. 14.7% (24/163 patients) in QFT-GIT-positive groups, P<0.017; overall mortality: 16.7% (6/36 patients) vs. 4.3% (7/163 patients), respectively, P<0.015].ConclusionsIn pleural TB, a false-negative QFT-GIT result was 18.1% in a country of intermediate TB incidence. This discordant result in GFT-GIT was associated with ESRD, pneumoconiosis, hypoproteinaemia and a poor outcome. Clinicians should keep in mind the possibility of false-negativity in the blood IGRA test, especially in specific situations and its impact on TB outcome in managing patients with pleural TB.

Diagnostic implications of bronchial lavage in patients with pleural tuberculosis.

The presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a respiratory specimen is diagnostic in patients with pleural effusion. It is difficult to obtain sputum even after induction in these patients. An alternative method of acquiring respiratory specimens is via bronchial lavage. This study was undertaken to evaluate the diagnostic yield of acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear, AFB culture, and Xpert assay of bronchial lavage fluid in the workup of pleural tuberculosis patients. All patients who met the inclusion criteria of the study underwent thoracentesis, pleural biopsy, and bronchial lavage. Specimens of pleural fluid, pleural biopsy, and bronchial lavage fluid were sent for acid fast bacilli smear, culture, and Xpert assay. Bronchial lavage AFB smear, culture, and Xpert assay was positive in 9.5%, 17.9%, and 26.2% of patients, respectively. It gave an immediate diagnosis in 22 (26.2%) patients. Bronchial lavage, though not a surrogate to pleural biopsy, offers an additional approach to the early diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis in patients not producing sputum. Besides being diagnostic, this method also has epidemiologic significance in containing the tuberculosis epidemic because detecting Mycobacterium in bronchial lavage confirms that the patient is infectious.

Treatment delay in childhood pleural tuberculosis and associated factors

BackgroundDelay in diagnosis and treatment worsens the disease and clinical outcomes, which further enhances the transmission of tuberculosis (TB) in the community. Therefore, this study aims to assess treatment delay and its associated factors among childhood pleural TB patients in China.MethodsBetween January 2006 and December 2019, consecutive patients aged ≤15 years with definite or possible pleural TB were included for analysis. Treatment delay duration was defined as the time interval from the onset of symptoms to treatment initiation and was stratified into two categories: < 30 days, ≥30 days (median delay day is 30 days). The electronic medical records of children were reviewed to obtain demographic characteristics, clinical characteristics, laboratory examinations, and radiographic findings. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to explore the factors associated with treatment delay in patients.ResultsA total of 154 children with pleural TB were included, with a mean age of 12.4 ± 3.3 years. The median treatment delay was 30 days (interquartile range, 10–60 days) and 51.3% (n = 79) of patients underwent a treatment delay. Multivariate analysis revealed that heart rate (≤92 beats/min, age-adjusted OR = 2.503, 95% CI: 1.215, 5.155) and coefficient of variation of red cell distribution width (RDW-CV, ≥12.9%, age-adjusted OR = 4.705, 95% CI: 2.048, 10.811) were significant risk factors for treatment delays in childhood pleural TB.ConclusionOur findings suggested that a significant treatment delay occurs among children with pleural TB in China. Patients with a low heart rate or a high RDW-CV experienced delays in the initiation of anti-TB therapy. Therefore, well awareness of the associations between clinical characteristics and treatment delay may improve the management of children with pleural TB and enable us to develop preventive strategies to reduce the treatment delay.

Accuracy of genotype MTBDRplus line probe assay in patients with tuberculous pleural effusion: comparison with clinical and culture based diagnosis

Background: Pleural tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis is challenging due to paucibacillary disease. Diagnostic accuracy of GenoType MTBDRplus Line Probe Assay (MTBDRplus) has been evaluated in this study for pleural TB diagnosis.Objective: To evaluate diagnostic accuracy of MTBDRplus for pleural TB diagnosis compared to clinical and microbiological diagnosis.Methods: This prospective study was conducted at the Aga Khan University, Pakistan. Pleural fluid from 203 suspected pleural TB patients was collected and tested for smear, culture and MTBDRplus. Diagnostic accuracy of MTBDRplus was determined using clinical diagnosis and culture as the gold standard.Results: Out of 203 TB suspect patients, MTBDRplus, culture and smear were positive in 14 (6. 9%), 27 (13.3%) and 4 (1.9%) cases, respectively. A total of 106/203 patients (27 culture positive and 79 culture negative) successfully completed TB treatment. Considering clinical diagnosis as gold standard, sensitivity of MTBDRplus was 13.2%; 95% CI (7.4–21.2%) and specificity was 100%; 95% CI (96.1–100%). The sensitivity and specificity of MTBDRplus in culture positive samples were 44.4%; 95% CI (25.5–64.7%) and 98.9%; 95% CI (95.9–99.9%), respectively. Excluding indeterminate results, MTBDRplus accurately detected isoniazid sensitivity in 5/6 and rifampicin sensitivity in 6/6 cases.Conclusion: MTBDRplus had a low sensitivity of 13.2% in clinically diagnosed and 44% in culture-confirmed pleural TB patients and therefore could not be included in most diagnostic algorithms. Due to a higher sensitivity than smear, MTBDRplus may have a role in tuberculous pleural effusion diagnosis if it is positive pending culture results and pleural biopsy.

Risk factors for tuberculous empyema in pleural tuberculosis patients

Tuberculous empyema (TE) is associated with high mortality and morbidity. In the retrospective cohort study, we aimed to find risk factors for TE among pleural tuberculosis (TB) patients. Between July 2011 and September 2015, all culture-confirmed pleural TB patients (474 cases) were enrolled in our study. Empyema was defined as grossly purulent pleural fluid. Demographic and epidemiological data were collected for further analysis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate risk factors of TE in pleural TB, age–adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to show the risk. The mean age was 35.7 ± 18.1 years old, males comprised 79.1% of the participants (375 cases). Forty-seven patients (9.9%) were multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), 29 (6.1%) had retreatment TB, 26 (5.5%) had diabetes mellitus. The percentage of empyema patients was 8.9% (42 cases). Multivariate analysis revealed that male (adjusted OR = 4.431, 95% CI: 1.411, 13.919), pleural adenosine deaminase (ADA, >88 U/L) (adjusted OR = 3.367, 95% CI: 1.533, 7.395) and white blood cell (WBC, >9.52 109/L) (adjusted OR = 5.763, 95% CI: 2.473, 13.431) were significant risk factors for empyema in pleural TB, while pulmonary TB (adjusted OR = 0.155, 95% CI: 0.072, 0.336) was the protective factor for the patients. TE remains a serious threat to public health in China. Male sex is a significant risk factor for TE while the presence of pulmonary TB is protective, and high levels of pleural ADA and WBC count could aid in early diagnosis of TE. This finding would help towards reducing the mortality and morbidity associated with TE.

Evidence that changes in antimicrobial peptides during tuberculosis are related to disease severity, clinical presentation, specific therapy and levels of immune-endocrine mediators

Given the role of host defense peptides (HDPs) in the defensive response against mycobacteria, we analyzed the circulating levels of LL-37, β-defensin-2 and -3 in newly diagnosed patients with pulmonary (PTB) or pleural tuberculosis (PLTB) in whom measurements of pleural fluids were also performed. Severe PTB patients displayed higher circulating amounts of β-defensin-3, statistically different from controls, further decreasing upon antimycobacterial treatment. LL-37 concentrations appeared within the normal range at diagnosis, but tended to increase during treatment, becoming statistically upon its completion in moderate cases. PLTB patients revealed decreased levels of β-defensin-2 in presence of increased amounts of β-defensin-3 and LL-37; in their plasma or pleural fluids. Considering the immune-endocrine dysregulation of tuberculosis, we also performed correlation analysis detecting positive associations between levels of cortisol, IL-6 and β-defensin-3 in plasma from untreated severe patients as did their dehydroepiandrosterone and LL-37 values. Increased presence of β-defensins, may represent an attempt to improve defensive mechanisms; which also take part in the inflammatory reaction accompanying TB, reinforced by the association with immune-endocrine mediators. The divergent profile of PLTB patients, decreased β-defensin-2 but increased β-defensin-3 and LL-37 levels, suggests a differential role of these HDPs in a situation characterized for its better protective response.

High expression of BTLA and B7-H4 on the surface of myeloid dendritic cells has a negative regulatory effect on their anti-tuberculosis immunity activity in pleural tuberculosis patients

To investigate the effects of the surface markers B- and T-lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA) and B7 homologous body 4 (B7-H4) on expression of CD83, and Human Leukocyte Antigen–DR isotype (HLA-DR) that can activate dendritic cells (DCs). Flow cytometry was used to detect the co-expression of BTLA and B7-H4 on myeloid DCs (mDCs) in peripheral blood (PB) and pleural effusions (PE) in 15 volunteers and 20 tuberculous pleurisy (TP) patients. Co-expression of BTLA and B7-H4 (double positive (DP)) mDCs in PB and PE of TP patients were enhanced. The proportion of DP mDC in PB decreased markedly after 2 weeks treatment, but was still greater than in controls. Expression of CD83 and HLA-DR on DP mDCs was higher than on BTLA and B7-H4 double negative (DN) expressing mDCs in PB of different TP groups. Expression of CD83 on DP mDCs in PB and PE of TP patients was greater than that of controls. Expression of HLA-DR on DP mDCs in TP patient PB was lower than in TP PE and controls. In pleural tuberculosis (TB) patients, high expression of BTLA and B7-H4 promoted a high level of CD83 and HLA-DR, which had a negative regulatory effect on mDCs on anti-TB immunity.

An improved algorithm for rapid diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis from pleural effusion by combined testing with GeneXpert MTB/RIF and an anti-LAM antibody-based assay

BackgroundThis retrospective study evaluated the performance of a lipoarabinomannan (LAM)-based immunological method for diagnosing pleural tuberculosis (TB) from pleural effusion samples. Results were compared to those obtained using conventional culture and molecular testing methods.MethodsSuspected pleural TB patients who visited Beijing Chest Hospital for medical care between January 2016 and June 2017 were retrospectively analysed in the study. Pleural effusion samples were tested for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) using the BACTEC MGIT 960 System, GeneXpert, and an anti-LAM antibody assay (LAM assay).ResultsPleural effusion samples were collected from a total of 219 retrospectively recruited participants suspected of having pleural TB. Thirteen of 155 confirmed pleural TB cases tested positive for MTB via MGIT culture, for a sensitivity of 8.4% [95% confidence interval (CI): 4.0–12.8%]. In addition, GeneXpert and LAM testing identified 22 and 55 pleural TB cases, for sensitivities of 14.2% (95% CI: 8.7–19.7%) and 35.5% (95% CI: 28.1–43.6%), respectively. The specificities of these two assays were 100.0% (95% CI: 92.9–100.0%) and 96.9% (95% CI: 88.2–99.5%), respectively. Combined application of culture and LAM testing identified 60 positive cases, for a sensitivity of 38.7% (95% CI: 31.0–46.4%) that was significantly higher than that of MGIT culture alone (P < 0.01). Similarly, use of LAM testing in combination with GeneXpert led to correct diagnosis of 40.0% (95% CI: 32.3–47.7%) of pleural TB cases, a higher rate than obtained using GeneXpert alone (P < 0.01). In addition, the specificity of the combined assay of GeneXpert and LAM testing was 96.9% (95% CI: 88.2–99.5%). Patients aged 25 to 44 years were more likely to have positive LAM assay results than those ≥65 years of age (P = 0.02). Meanwhile, the proportion of diabetic patients with positive LAM assay results was significantly lower than that of the non-diabetes group (P = 0.03).ConclusionsAn anti-LAM antibody detection assay showed potential for diagnosis of pleural TB from pleural effusion samples. Combined use of the LAM assay with MGIT culture or GeneXpert methods could improve sensitivity for improved pleural TB diagnosis compared to results of individual conventional tests alone.

Diagnostic role of medical thoracoscopy in childhood pleural tuberculosis

Currently, the diagnostic role of medical thoracoscopy in childhood pleural tuberculosis remains uncertain. Therefore, this retrospective study was conducted to evaluate the diagnostic performance of histological examination of tissue samples obtained by medical thoracoscopy in childhood pleural tuberculosis. Hospitalized children who underwent medical thoracoscopy between May 2012 and March 2016 were included in the study. Tissue samples obtained by thoracoscopy were submitted for histological examination (hematoxylin and eosin staining). Descriptive statistical methods were used for data interpretation, and the data were expressed as the mean ± standard deviation. The childhood tuberculosis patients had the following characteristics: 11 had pleural tuberculosis and 9 had pleural tuberculosis + pulmonary tuberculosis, the average age was 13.0 ± 2.2 years old, 60% were male, 26.3% (5/19) of patients tested positive for acid-fast bacilli positive in smears, 21.1% (4/19) of patients were positive for TB-PCR, and 90% (18) of pleural tuberculosis patients were positive in the culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The sensitivity of histological examinations of tissue samples obtained by thoracoscopy in the detection of pleural tuberculosis was 80% (16/20). Complications were reported in 15 cases, and all complications disappeared spontaneously without any specific treatment. Therefore, we concluded that medical thoracoscopy was a sensitive and safe tool for the detection of childhood pleural tuberculosis.

Correlation between videothoracoscopy and biopsy in patients with pleural effusion and suspected tuberculosis in a high complexity military hospital

Background: In the diagnostic process of pleural tuberculosis, the findings from video-assisted thoracoscopy (VATS) can be highly suggestive for the diagnosis of infection.Methods: We reviewed VATS records between the years 2012 to 2016 of patients over 16 years of age with pleural effusion and suspected pleural tuberculosis. Symptoms, macroscopic and chemical characteristics of the fluid, surgical descriptions and visual diagnosis of the surgeon were recorded and were compared with the histopathology.Results: 106 patients were selected, most of them men (71.7%), of whom approximately half were active military (51.3%). The predominant symptoms were dyspnea, pleuritic pain, fever and evolution time greater than 15 days (94.3%, 80.2%, 50% and 46,2%, respectively). These symptoms, in turn, were present more frequently in pleural tuberculosis patients than in non-tuberculosis patients. The fluid was mostly turbid yellow (44%) and lymphocytic cellularity exudate (77.4%). The VATS findings in patients with confirmed TBC included nodules (96.9%), adhesions (87.5%) and thickening (78.1%). The diagnosis made by the surgeon in relation to the histopathological diagnosis showed a sensitivity of 88.6% and a specificity of 98.4%.Conclusion: There are highly suggestive characteristics of the macroscopic report of VATS that would allow a quicker diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis.

The impact of ocular tuberculosis on vision after two months of intensive therapy

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease of global importance with major economic and social burden accounting for 25% of all avoidable deaths in developing countries. Extrapulmonary involvement may occur either in association with clinically apparent pulmonary tuberculosis or in isolation. This cross-sectional descriptive study aimed to evaluate the impact of ocular tuberculosis in visual acuity at baseline and after two months of intensive anti-tuberculous therapy. A sample of 133 pulmonary tuberculosis patients, seven disseminated tuberculosis, and three pleural tuberculosis patients was evaluated. All patients underwent routine ophthalmic evaluation, including assessment of visual acuity, biomicroscopy, applanation tonometry, indirect ophthalmoscopy, and fluorescent angiography as appropriate. None of the patients had impaired visual acuity due to tuberculosis. A rate of 4.2% (6/143) of ocular involvement was found. None of the patients with ocular involvement were HIV-infected. Of the six patients with ocular involvement, five met the diagnostic criteria for probable and one for possible ocular lesions. As for the type of ocular lesions, two patients had bilateral findings: one had sclerouveitis and the second had choroidal nodules. The other four patients presented with unilateral lesions: peripheral retinal artery occlusion in the right eye (one case), choroidal nodules in the left eye (one case), and choroidal nodules in the right eye (two cases). Patients progressed favorably after two month of intensive therapy, with no significant reduction in vision.

Pleural tuberculosis: medical thoracoscopy greatly increases the diagnostic accuracy.

Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy of a standardised work-up in the diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis (TB) that included fibreoptic bronchoscopy and medical thoracoscopy.A consecutive series of 52 pleural TB patients observed during the period 2001–2015 was evaluated retrospectively. 20 females, mean (range) age 39.7 (18–74) years, and 32 males, mean (range) age 45.75 (21–83) years, were included (28 non-EU citizens (53.8%)). The diagnosis of TB infections was established by identification (using stains, culture or molecular tests) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the pleura, sputum and/or bronchial specimens, or by evidence of caseous granulomas on pleural biopsies. Patients with and without lung lesions were considered separately.The diagnostic yield of the microbiological tests on pleural fluid was 17.3% (nine out of 52 patients). Among the 18 patients with lung lesions, bronchial samples (washing, lavage or biopsy) were positive in 50% of cases (nine patients). Cultures of pleural biopsies were positive in 63% of cases (29 out of 46 patients); pleural histology was relevant in all patients. Without pleural biopsy, a diagnosis would have been reached in 15 out of 52 patients (28.6%) and in four of them only following culture at 30–40 days.An integrated diagnostic work-up that includes all the diagnostic methods of interventional pulmonology is required for a diagnosis of pleural TB. In the majority of patients, a diagnosis can be reached only with pleural biopsy.

Safety and effectiveness of CT-guided percutaneous pulmonary paracentesis and tuberculoma perfusing chemotherapy for the treatment of pleural tuberculosis.

The aim of the study was to compare the mid- and long-term effects of different treatments such as CT-guided percutaneous pulmonary paracentesis, tuberculoma perfusing chemotherapy and whole-body standard chemotherapy or extended chemotherapy on safety and effectiveness for pleural chemotherapy. A total of 60 subjects diagnosed to have pleural tuberculosis between February 2010 and February 2014 were prospectively selected for this study and were considered as the experimental group. Seventy pleural tuberculosis patients who underwent treatment between February 2006 and February 2010 were considered as the control group. The patients in the experimental group were treated with CT-guided percutaneous pulmonary paracentesis and tuberculoma perfusing chemotherapy of not more than three courses with each course consisting of administration of 0.1 g isoniazid, n 0.5 gkanamyci, 0.2 g levofloxacin, and 1 ml lidocaine once a week for four times. The patients in the control group were treated with whole-body standard or extended chemotherapy regimen 3~6HRZE(S)/6~12HR. The patients were followed up for 18 months and the treatment effects were compared. The diameter of tuberculoma in patients of the experimental group during 6, 12 and 18 months was shorter than that of the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate of treatment and the duration of treatment in experimental group during 18 months were higher than that of control group (P<0.05). The frequency of drug-related complications were lower in comparison with the control group (P<0.05). No surgically acquired complications were observed in the experimental group. Thus, treatments such as CT-guided percutaneous pulmonary paracentesis and tuberculoma perfusing chemotherapy for pleural tuberculosis are safe and effective, which has greater value and can be promoted for use in the clinical setting.

The performance of an in-house nested-PCR technique for pleural tuberculosis diagnoses

This study evaluated the performance of an in-house nested-PCR system for the detection of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in pleural fluid, blood and urine samples from pleural effusion tuberculosis patients by health services physicians in Pernambuco, Brazil. A prospective double-blind study with 37 hospitalized patients of both sexes, aged over 15, was used to investigate the diagnosis of pleural effusion. The criteria used to define the cases included the demonstration of bacillus in biological samples by smear or culture or by a granulomatous finding in the histopathological examination, associated with an evident response to specific treatments to each clinical situation. Pleural fluid, blood and urine samples were collected and subjected to routine tests and the nested PCR technique to assess for M. tuberculosis amplification. In total, 37 pleural effusion patients took part in the study, of whom 19 (51.3%) had tubercular etiologies and 18 (48.7%) had etiologies from other causes. When the pleural fluid, blood and/or urine sample in-house nested-PCR sensitivities were evaluated simultaneously, the results were positive regardless of the biological specimen (the sensitivity was 84.2%); however, when the blood and/or urine samples were analyzed together, the sensitivity was 72.2%. When the pleural fluid samples were evaluated alone, the sensitivity was only 33.3%. The performance of the diagnostic pleural tuberculosis nested-PCR was directly related to the diversity of the samples collected from the same patient. Additionally, this study may identify a need to prioritize non-invasive blood and urine collection for this diagnosis.

Levels of inflammatory cytokines, adrenal steroids, and mRNA for GRα, GRβ and 11βHSD1 in TB pleurisy

Our previous work on the immune-endocrine features of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) showed markedly decreased plasma levels of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) together with augmented concentrations of Cortisol and pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Studies in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) indicated a lower mRNA α/β ratio of glucocorticoid receptors -GR- together with a higher 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11βHSD1) mRNA expression in cases with severe pulmonary TB. Since Pleural TB (PLTB) is a rather benign manifestation of TB, we now analyzed the systemic and local immune-endocrine profile as well as the GRα, GRβ, 11βHSD1 and 11βHSD2 transcripts in PBMC and pleural effusion mononuclear cells (PEMC) of patients with PLTB. PLTB patients had increased levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and IFNγ together with reduced Cortisol and DHEA concentrations in pleural fluids. Also, a significantly increased expression of 11βHSD1 and GRα was found in PEMC compared to PBMC. Findings point out to an appropriate immune response and a substantial inflammatory reaction, wherein the low Cortisol concentrations may be equally effective, because of the increased expression of GRα and 11βHSD1 transcripts which may optimize the immunomodulatory properties of Cortisol.

The profile of pleural tuberculosis patients in Turkey

Abstract Background: Tuberculosis is the leading cause of exudative pleural effusion. The present study was designed to evaluate the patient profile in a 3-year cohort of pleural tuberculosis patients. Methods: A total of 174 patients with pleural tuberculosis (mean(SD) age was 36.1 (17.3) years, 64.9% were males) followed up in our clinic from 2004 to 2007 were included in this study. Data on diagnostic methods, pleural fluid findings and clinical features of patients were recorded based on retrospective evaluation of the medical records. Diagnostic thorasynthesis was performed in patients with pleural effusion. Concomitant analysis of pleural fluid and blood biochemistry (glucose, LDH, protein levels), ADA values and cytology of pleural fluid were performed. Tuberculosis patients were categorized and treated in accordance with WHO guidelines. Patients were invited to attend monthly visits for the cohort analysis after discharge. Results: The frequency of patients below and above 35 years of age was 51.1 and 48.9%, respectively. Parenchymal lesion was evident in 22.4% of patients while pleural fluid was detected in 50.6% of patients. Lymphocytic fluid was detected in 98%. Mean (SD) level for ADA in the pleural fluid was 76.9(41.2) U/L. Pleural biopsy revealed granulomatous infection in 53.8% and chronic pleuritis in 46.2% of patients. There was a significant relation of age over 35 years to presence of chronic infection in pleural biopsy (OR: 3.11 (1.33-7.23)) and co-morbid disorder (OR: 23.53 (5.33-103.93)). Pleural biopsy was performed in 38.2% of patients who were younger than 35 years while in 51.7% of patients who were older than 35 years. The frequency of granulomatous infection diagnosis was significantly higher in patients younger than 35 years when compared to older patients (54.8% vs. 45.2 %; p=0.02). Conclusion: In our study including homogenous distribution of patients in terms of being younger and older than 35 years of age, pleural biopsy was performed more commonly in older patient in order to eliminate possible underlying malignancy. However the diagnostic power of pleural biopsy was determined to be poor. Accordingly, after elimination of other causes of the exudate development, initiation of tuberculosis treatment based on ADA and cell count results seems reasonable