[Assessment of the activity of plasminogen activators in the differential diagnosis of pleural effusion].

The comparison of activator activity of blood, urine and pleural fluid in 55 patients suffering from chronic circulatory insufficiency, tuberculosis, pneumonia and lung cancer helped to determine pathognomonic signs for each of the exudates examined. Cardiac decompensation is associated with high activity of plasminogen activator in the transudate against low activator activity of the blood and urine. In tuberculous pleuritis there is low activator activity of the exudate in normal blood and urine parameters. Reduced activator activity of the blood, urine and pleural fluid is characteristic of parapneumonic pleuritis, while high activity of plasminogen activator in the blood and pleural exudate in its normal activity in the urine is seen in cancer pleuritis. The findings obtained can be used in clinical medicine for verification of pleural fluid nature.