T Helper Cell Subsets in the Pleural Fluid of Tuberculous Patients Differentiate Patients With Non-Tuberculous Pleural Effusions

BackgroundTuberculous pleural effusion (TPE) is one of the most common forms of extrapulmonary tuberculosis (Tb). Patients with TPE or malignant pleural effusions (MPE) frequently have a similar lymphocytic pleural fluid profile. Since the etiology of PE in various diseases is different, identifying the cellular components may provide diagnostic clues for understanding the pathogenesis.ObjectiveWe determined the frequency of T helper (Th) subtypes in the PEs for differentiation of Tb and non-Tb patients.MethodsThirty patients with TPE, 30 patients with MPE, 14 patients with empyema (EMP), and 14 patients with parapneumonic effusion (PPE) were enrolled between December 2018 and December 2019…