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Effect of an intrathoracic injection of sodium hyaluronic acid on the prevention of pleural thickening in excess fluid of tuberculous thoracic cavity
Author(s) -
Zhou Ailian,
Guo Lanping,
Tang Liangchun
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
clinical and experimental pharmacology and physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1440-1681
pISSN - 0305-1870
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-1681.2003.03804.x
Subject(s) - medicine , sodium hyaluronate , pleural cavity , thoracic cavity , hyaluronic acid , saline , chest radiograph , lung , surgery , anatomy
Summary 1. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of a hyaluronate‐based gel (HAbg) on the prevention of pleural thickening and adhesion in tuberculous pleural effusions (TPE). 2. Fifty‐two patients who had accumulated a medium or large volume of tuberculous thoracic fluid, fluid being bound by fibre tissues and a pleura thickened more than 2 mm were divided randomly into two groups. All patients were all given standard treatments with antituberculous drugs. The HAbg was injected into the thoracic cavity in the treatment group ( n = 27 patients), whereas normal saline was introduced into the thoracic cavity in the control group ( n = 25 patients). Before and after HAbg injection, routine thoracic fluid examiniations (including qualitative protein analysis, cell counts and classification of cell types) and protein quantification were performed. A chest radiograph and B‐ultrasound were performned and pulmonary function was tested after 2 weeks and 3 months of thoracic fluid absorption. 3. The results show that patients who were treated with the HAbg had a significantly thinner pleura, a lower protein concentration and white blood cell count in the thoracic fluid and a higher forced expiratory volume in 1 s and forced vital capacity compared with patients in the control group. 4. Intrathoracic HAbg can prevent pleural thickening and improve lung function in patients who have a large amount of TPE.