Fig. 1. Box and whisker plots for the effusion levels of fibrinolytic enzymes (A), cytokines (B) and chemokines (C) between tuberculous pleurisy and parapneumonic effusions/empyema. The box plot is based on the median, quartiles and extreme values. The box represents the interquartile range that contains 50% of values. The whiskers are lines that extend from the box to the highest and lowest values. TB = tuberculous pleurisy (N = 47), PPE = parapneumonic effusions/empyema (N = 44).

Fig. 2. Box and whisker plots for the effusion levels of cytokines and chemokines between complicated parapneumonic effusions (PPE)/empyema and noncomplicated PPE. The box plot is based on the median, quartiles and extreme values. The box represents the interquartile range that contains 50% of values. The whiskers are lines that extend from the box to the highest and lowest values. C/E = complicated PPE/empyema (N = 28), NC = noncomplicated PPE (N = 16).

Clinical features and pleural fluid characteristics between patients with tuberculous (TB) pleurisy and parapneumonic effusions (PPE)/empyema^a

LDH = lactate dehydrogenase; NS = not significant.

The blood levels of cytokines and fibrinolytic enzymes in patients with tuberculous (TB) pleurisy and parapneumonic effusions (PPE)/empyema^a1

tPA = tissue type plasminogen activator; PAI-1 = plasminogen activator inhibitor-1; TNF-α = tumor necrosis factor-α; IL-1β = interleukin-1β; MCP-1 = monocyte chemoattractant protein-1; MIP-1β = macrophage inflammatory protein-1β; NS = not significant.

Correlation between fibrinolytic enzymes and cytokines in TB pleurisy and parapneumonic effusions (PPE)/empyema^a

tPA = tissue type plasminogen activator; PAI-1 = plasminogen activator inhibitor-1; TNF-α = tumor necrosis factor-α; IL-1β = interleukin-1β; MCP-1 = monocyte chemoattractant protein-1; MIP-1β = macrophage inflammatory protein-1β.

Effusion levels of cytokines and fibrinolytic enzymes in tuberculous pleurisy patients with or without residual pleural thickening^a

tPA = tissue type plasminogen activator; PAI-1 = plasminogen activator inhibitor-1; TNF-α = tumor necrosis factor-α; IL-1β = interleukin-1β; MCP-1 = monocyte chemoattractant protein-1; MIP-1β = macrophage inflammatory protein-1β; NS = not significant.