[The changes and clinical significance of interleukin 1 beta in pleural effusion].

An enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was set up by using anti-recombinant human interleukin 1 beta monoclonal antibodies. The interleukin 1 beta, anti-interleukin 1 beta autoantibody and interleukin 1 beta containing immune complex were detected in pleural effusion of 28 patients with bacterial infection cases pleurisy and 13 with lung cancer. The results showed that free interleukin 1 beta could be detectable in the early stage of pleurisy, and then transformed to the immune complex. The interleukin 1 beta containing immune complex were detectable in the pleeural effusions of all the 28 patients with pleurisy, but only two patients with lung cancer. The results suggested that this cytokine behaves differently in these two different kinds of diseases.