Role of GSDMD and VEGF in differentiating between malignant and non-malignant pleural effusions

Abstract

Abstract Background It is crucial to differentiate between benign and malignant pleural effusions while making a diagnosis. The purpose of this research was to investigate the diagnostic significance of GSDMD and VEGF in discriminating between different kinds of pleural effusion and their correlation with both progression-free and overall survivals in the malignant type. Methods Ninety-one pleural fluid samples, which were classified as transudates or exudates (tuberculous, para-infectious, or malignant) by pleural fluid classifications, were tested for GSDMD using sandwich ELIZA kits, and 41 of the exudative samples were randomly selected for VEGF testing. Both markers' diagnostic accuracy was assessed. Results The lowest level of GSDMD was associated with the transudate group (mean and SD of 2.35 ± 0.44 ng/mL) and the highest in the malignant effusion group (mean and SD of 4.38 ± 1.67 ng/mL). The specificity and sensitivity of GSDMD in the diagnosis of exudative PE were 97% and 98%, respectively (p = 0.001) with the cutoff point = 2.89). Regarding VEGF, its level was 222.3 ± 53.4 pg/ml for all studied samples where MPE (n = 21) was 261.2 ± 48.2 pg/ ml (mean ± SD), TBPE (n = 7) was 185.4 ± 6.96 pg/ml (mean ± SD), and PIPE (n = 13) was 179.3 ± 13.9 pg/ml (mean ± SD). The diagnostic accuracy of VEGF for the detection of MPE was 90% with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 80% and the cutoff point was 191.5 pg/ml. There were highly significant inverse correlations between progression-free survival and both GSDMD (r =− 0.531, p = 0.009) and VEGF (r = − 0.582, p = 0.006) in MPE. Conclusion Pleural effusion GSDMD can be an effective marker for differentiating the different kinds of PE, and VEGF levels can be a useful adjuvant marker in screening out MPE as a possible diagnosis, leading to the proper selection of patients who may benefit from more invasive procedures.