The serum PA levels in different subgroups of TB patients.

<p>There were significant differences in the serum PA levels between following subgroups: pleuritis and lung tuberculosis, TB patients with higher ESR (≥20 mm/h) and normal ESR (<i><</i>20 mm/h), TB patients with higher smoking status (≥20 year×pack) (<i>P<</i>0.01).</p

Clinical Characteristics of the Study Population.

<p>AST≥40 IU/L or ALT≥40 IU/L were defined as Transaminase elevation;Serum PA levels≤170 mg/L were defined as PA decreased.</p>*<p><i>P<</i>0.05, compared to both TB and healthy individuals groups.</p>***<p><i>P<</i>0.001, compared to both lung cancer patients and health individuals groups.</p>**<p><i>P<</i>0.01, compared to both lung cancer patients and health individuals groups.</p

The change of serum PA levels in different group of patients.

<p>Serum PA levels slowly elevated after the TB patients accepted anti-TB drugs. Nine months after use of anti-TB drugs, the average of serum PA levels (194.1±29.2 mg/L) among these TB patients significantly rised to normal range. However, the serum PA levels of drug-resistant TB patients remained at a low level state. The serum PA levels in lung cancer patients were slowly reduced after chemotherapy.</p

Influencing factors of PA decrease in patients with TB.

<p>Serum PA levels≤170 mg/L were defined as PA decreased;</p><p>Patients were divided into two types:lung TB(pulmonary tuberculosis patients without pleuritis) and with pleuritis(incluing both pulmonary tuberculosis patients with pleuritis and simple pleuritis patients).</p>**<p><i>P<</i>0.01.a: age≥60 compared to other subgroups; b: smoking status≥20 compared to other subgroups.</p