The diagnostic value and validation of IL-22 combimed with sCD40L in tuberculosis pleural effusion

Abstract Background There is substantial evidence indicating that cytokines play a role in the immune defense against tuberculosis. This study aims to evaluate the levels of various cytokines in pleural effusion to ditinguish between tuberculosis pleurisy and malignant pleurisy. Methods A total of 82 participants with pleural effusion were included in the training cohort, and 76 participants were included in the validation cohort. The individuals were divided into tuberculosis and malignant pleurisy groups. The concentrations of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17 A, IL-17 F, IL-21, IL-22, IL-25, IL-31, IL-33, interferon-γ (IFN-γ), soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in pleural effusion were measured using a multiplex cytokine assay. The threshold values were calculated according to the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to aid in diagnosing tuberculosis pleurisy. Furthermore, the combined measure was validated in the validation cohort. Results The levels of all 14 cytokines in pleural effusion were significantly higher in participants with tuberculosis compared to those with malignant pleurisy (all P