Detection of hTERT mRNA, CEA, CA19-9 in pleural effusion and its clinical significance

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To explore the clinical significance of the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) mRNA, CEA and CA19-9 in di erential diagnosis of benign and malignant pleural e usions. METHODSConcentrations of CEA and CA19-9 in pleural e usions were assayed using automated chemiluminescence, and expression of hTERT mRNA was detected by RT-PCR. RESULTSThe positive rates of hTERT mRNA, CEA and CA19-9 expression in the group with malignant effusions were signifi cantly higher compared to the group with benign e usion (P < 0.05). The sensitivity (%), specificity (%) and diagnostic accordance rates (%) of the 3 tumor markers were as follows: i) hTERT mRNA: 81.8/90.5/86.1; ii) CEA: 52.3/92.9/72.1; iii) CA19-9: 34.1/90.5/61.6. The positive rates of hTERT mRNA + CEA (%) expression in the pleural e usions were 97.7. CONCLUSION All of these tumor markers can be helpful for differential diagnosis of pleural effusions. hTERT mRNA had more clinical value in differentiation of the pleural efffusions. CA19-9 is unfi t to be as an optimal index. The combined assay of hTERT mRNA and CEA in pleural e usions can further raise the positive detection rate of the tumor markers and can be helpful in producing a diagnosis.