Pleural effusion is an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the pleural
space resulting from increased production of fluid or decrease resorption of fluid
in the pleural space. Pleural effusion can be caused by infectious diseases,
malignancies, collagen disease, gastrointestinal disease, heart disease, and other
causes such as medication, nephrotic syndrome, and radiation. Adenosine
deaminase (ADA) is an enzyme involved in the catabolism of purines which
catalysis the change of adenosine into inosine and deoxyadenosine into
deoxyinosine. This enzyme can be measured in pleural fluid, serum and other
body fluids such as cerebrospinal and ascites fluid. The aim of this study was to
analyze the correlation between adenosine deaminase activity in pleural fluid and
serum in patients with pleural effusion.
Methods. Subjects were 46 patients with various causes of pleural effusion. This
research was an analytical observational study with a cross sectional design.
Examination of ADA activity was performed in pleural fluid and serum. ADA
activity was examined using enzymatic methods, using Diazyme reagent by TMS
24i Premium.
Results. Mean±SD ADA activity for all pleural effusion sample in serum was
13.037 8.365 U//L and pleural fluid 30.843 28.860 U//L. No correlation
between ADA activity in serum and pleural fluid (r=0.173,p= 0.252) in all sample.
No correlation between ADA activity in serum and pleural fluis was found in
malignancies (r=0.109, p=0.630), tuberculosis (r= 0.366,p = 0.123), systemic
diseases (r =0.466, p=0.429), and non tuberculosis group (r=0.126,p=0.532).
Conclusion. There was an increase of ADA activity in pleural fluid. There was no
significant correlation between pleural fluid ADA activity and serum