The level of hyaluronic acid (HA) was determined in the pleural fluid of 99 @entity1 , including 19 with @entity3620 , 27 with @entity2 , 1 with @entity0 , 1 with @entity5 and 51 with non-malignant diseases. With a cut-off level at 100 micrograms/ml, the pleural fluid concentration of HA was high in 36.8% of @entity1 (7 of 19) with @entity3620 and 1.3% of @entity1 (1 of 80) with @entity2 and other malignant and non-malignant diseases. The mean concentration of pleural fluid HA was significantly higher in @entity1 with @entity2615 than in those with @entity2 and other malignant and non-malignant diseases. The pre-test probability of MM was 5.9% in this series. The LRs for > or = 100, 50-99 and < or = 49 micrograms/ml are 28.3, 3.3 and 0.5, respectively; these put the post-test probabilities at 64, 17 and 3%, respectively. Indeed, in cases of uncommon disease such as MM, the post-test probability is low even if the cut-off level of HA is > or = 100 micrograms/ml. The discrimination between @entity2 needs special attention. In these two diseases, the LRs of MM for pleural fluid @entity787 > 30, 10-30 and < 10 ng/ml were 0.2, 1.9 and 2.4, respectively. The pre-test probability of MM for HA > or = or 100 micrograms/ml is 64%. Furthermore, because the LR for @entity787 is < 10 ng/ml, the post-test probability is 81%. When the combination of two markers is considered, the high level of HA and the low level of @entity787 may be useful for the differential diagnosis of MM from @entity5641 .

Utility of hyaluronic acid in pleural fluid for differential diagnosis of pleural effusions: likelihood ratios for XXXX .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity0 :: ('MESH:D001943', 'Disease') :: ['breast cancer'] @entity5 :: ('MESH:D009369', 'Disease') :: ['mediastinal tumor'] @entity2 :: ('MESH:D008175', 'Disease') :: ['malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer', 'lung cancer'] @entity5641 :: ('MESH:D010998', 'Disease') :: ['pleuritis carcinomatosa'] @entity2615 :: ('MESH:D008654', 'Disease') :: ['mesothelioma'] @entity787 :: ('1084', 'Gene') :: ['CEA'] @entity3620 :: ('MESH:C562839', 'Disease') :: ['malignant mesothelioma']
@entity3620 :: (MESH:C562839,Disease) :: ['malignant mesothelioma']
