The American journal of the medical sciences
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The etiology of pleural effusions often remained unknown notwithstanding surgical pleural biopsy and further clinical observation. A better understanding of clinical characteristics of patients with idiopathic pleural effusion (IPE) may improve the ability to differentiate between IPEs and cytology-negative malignant pleural effusions (MPEs) and facilitate the identification of patients requiring invasive investigation. However, little is known about the clinical factors that can help distinguish patients with IPE from those with cytology-negative MPE. ⋯ Using these readily available parameters to identify IPE in patients with cytology-negative exudative effusion of unknown cause can help guide decision-making when choosing to perform an invasive pleural biopsy or to take a conservative approach.
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Lung cancer is one of the most malignant cancers threatening human health. The miR-17-92 gene cluster is a highly conserved oncogene cluster encoding 6 miRNAs: miR-17, miR-18a, miR-19a, miR-19b-1, miR-20a and miR-92a. This study explored whether these miRNAs can be used as diagnostic markers for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). ⋯ The miR-17-92 gene cluster can likely serve as a diagnostic marker in NSCLC.