ABSTRACT
This study was performed on 74 patients [45 males and 29 females] suffering from pleural effusion due to different etiologies to evaluate the use of gamma interferon [IFN-gamma] as a diagnostic marker for tuberculous pleural effusion. The patients were classified into five groups according to one or more of the following criteria: Clinical examination, tuberculin intradermal test, histopathological and microbiological examination of both sputum and pleural fluid by ZN stains and culture on Bactec-460 [Becton Dickinson]. The five groups were tuberculous effusion group [30 patients], malignant effusion group [11 patients], empyemic effusion group [10 patients] and nonspecific effusion group [14 patients]. For each pleural effusion, glucose, total protein and albumin were estimated calorimetrically and IFN-gamma was evaluated by radio-immunoassay technique