Table 2 Direct comparison of established criteria with effusion LDH and cholesterol for separating exudate and transudate.

From: Accuracy of seven criteria based on cholesterol and lactate dehydrogenase for differentiating exudative and transudative pleural effusions

Criteria

Items combined using an “or” rules

Sensitivity

(95 CI%)

Specificity

(95 CI%)

LR+

(95 CI%)

LR-

(95 CI%)

DOR

(95 CI%)

Light criteria7

● Ratio of pf-protein to s-protein > 0.5

● Ratio of pf-LDH to s-LDH > 0.6

● LDH > 2/3 the upper limit of RI

0.90 (0.86–0.94)

0.73 (0.60–0.83)

3.34 (1.63–6.83)

0.13 (0.06–0.27)

25.59 (12.49–52.41)

Lepine PA et al.16

● LDH > 0.6 upper limit of RI

● Cholesterol > 1.04 mmol/L [40 mg/dL]

0.91 (0.87–0.94)

0.73 (0.60–0.83)

3.37 (1.63–6.97)

0.12 (0.06–0.25)

28.28 (13.66–58.56)

Kummerfeldt CE et al.17

● LDH > 2/3 the upper limit of RI

● Cholesterol > 1.17 mmol/L [45 mg/dL]

0.86 (0.81–0.90)

0.81 (0.69–0.90)

4.63 (2.19–9.82)

0.17 (0.08–0.36)

27.64 (13.04–58.57)

Gonlugur U et al.18

● LDH > 207 IU/L

● Cholesterol > 1.17 mmol/L [45 mg/dL]

0.84 (0.79–0.89)

0.86 (0.74–0.94)

6.22 (2.73–14.14)

0.18 (0.08–0.41)

34.22 (15.05–77.85)

Gazquez I et al.19

● LDH > 307 IU/L

● Cholesterol > 1.55 mmol/L [60 mg/dL]

0.74 (0.68–0.80)

0.93 (0.83–0.98)

10.97 (3.82–31.52)

0.27 (0.10–0.79)

39.92 (13.90–114.68)

Heffner JE et al.20

● LDH > 0.45 of upper limits of RI

● Cholesterol > 1.17 mmol/L [45 mg/dL]

0.93 (0.88–0.95)

0.58 (0.44–0.70)

2.18 (1.08–4.42)

0.13 (0.06–0.26)

16.92 (8.36–34.26)

Garcia-Pachon E et al.21

● LDH > 2/3 upper limits of RI

● Cholesterol > 1.30 mmol/L [50 mg/dL]

0.84 (0.79–0.88)

0.83 (0.71–0.91)

4.95 (2.31–10.60)

0.19 (0.09–0.42)

25.51 (11.91–54.62)

Costa M et al.22

● LDH > 200 IU/L

● Cholesterol > 1.17 mmol/L [45 mg/dL]

0.84 (0.79–0.89)

0.85 (0.73–0.92)

5.53 (2.51–12.17)

0.19 (0.08–0.41)

29.82 (13.54–65.69)

  1. AUC, area under the curve; CI, confidence interval; RI, reference interval; LDH, lactate dehydrogenase; LR+, positive likelihood ratio; LR-, negative likelihood ratio; DOR, diagnostic odds ratio.
Back to article page