Table 1 Pleural adenosine deaminase and interferon-γ levels in patients with tuberculosis, malignancy and non-tuberculosis non-malignancy in the study group

Age (yrs)

26 (20–35)

62 (49–75)

67 (44–75)

0.0001

P (1–2) = 0.0001

P (1–3) = 0.0001

P (2–3) = 0.907

Male/female

30/13

12/11

21/6

0.144

Pleural ADA-1 (U/L)

21.06 (14.55-33.56)

7.48 (5.61-17.16)

14.89 (7.39-21.06)

0.0001

P (1–2) = 0.0001

P (1–3) = 0.008

P (2–3) = 0.067

Pleural ADA-2 (U/L)

38.00 (29.66-53.15)

8.86 (6.40-12.60)

11.32 (5.80-15.23)

0.0001

P (1–2) = 0.0001

P(1–3) = 0.0001

P(2–3) = 0.402

Pleural total ADA (U/L)

60.04 (44.66-87.60)

19.78 (16.02-24.43)

23.92 (16.36-40.11)

0.0001

P (1–2) = 0.0001

P (1–3) = 0.0001

P (2–3) = 0.170

Pleural μg/ml (pg/ml)

185.00 (105.00-460.00)

55.00 (15.00-110.00)

75.00 (36.00-195.00)

0.0001

P (1–2) = 0.0001

P (1–3) = 0.006

P (2–3) = 0.110