[Clinical significance of diamine oxidase (DAO) in serous effusions of neoplastic and non neoplastic origin (author's transl)].

Diamine oxidase (DAO) levels were investigated in pleural and ascitic fluids of 142 patients suffering from neoplastic and non neoplastic diseases. While in serous effusions of non neoplastic origin or of neoplastic origin (but non containing neoplastic cells) DAO levels were similar to serum levels; in the malignant fluids containing cells of epithelial origin, DAO was very elevated and largely superior to serum values. This results seems to be of practical importance for diagnostic purposes because points out the presence of carcinomatous cells in the effusions.