Usefulness of triglyceride levels in pleural fluid.

The determination of pleural fluid triglycerides (PF-TRIG) is useful in the diagnosis of chylothorax, but its diagnostic value for other causes of pleural effusions is unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of PF-TRIG in the diagnosis of other pleural effusions and investigate the origin of their increase in these fluids. We studied 390 pleural effusions (75 tuberculous, 107 neoplastic, 39 parapneumonic, 30 miscellaneous, 42 idiopathic, and 97 transudates). The correlation was analyzed with the PF-TRIG values as the dependent variable and serum triglycerides (S-TRIG) and the pleural fluid/serum protein ratio (PF/S PROT ratio) as independent variables. The PF-TRIG was significantly higher in exudates. The sensitivity of PF-TRIG for identifying exudates was 84.3%, specificity 61.9%. The correlation between PF-TRIG and S-TRIG was significant in the exudates and in the total pleural effusions. There was a significant correlation between PF-TRIG and S-TRIG and capillary permeability, which worsened when looking at the transudates and exudates separately. No correlations were found between the PF-TRIG and the number of red cells and white cells in any of the groups. Except for diagnosing a chylothorax, the determination of triglycerides in pleural fluid does not appear to be justified. The cause of the increase in PF-TRIG in exudates could not be established because the correlations obtained were insufficient to be able to predict PF-TRIG values from their serum values and the measurement of capillary permeability.