Abstract
Simultaneous cytological and metabolic investigation of the pleural effusion provides clinically relevant information about the type and intensity of immune response in the pleural cavity. Our findings in patients with heart failure and sepsis suggest the absence of inflammation in the pleural cavity.
We observed the manifestation of tissue repair in patients with pneumothorax and haemothorax. Patients with tuberculous pleuritis were predominantly characterized by T cell-driven immune response and oxidative burst of macrophages.
We found different intensities of immune responses to the chest surgery. The typical finding in patients with empyema was oxidative burst of neutrophils.
In patients with pleural malignancy, weak cytotoxic inflammation predominates together with he intensive inflammation characterized by oxidative burst of macrophages.