Diagnostic Value of Serum Adenosine Deaminase Level for Pulmonary Tuberculosis

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major health problem across the world and commonly involves the lungs. Analysis of serum adenosine deaminase activity is a very useful diagnostic approach to achieve a more rapid and precise diagnosis in serum of pulmonary tuberculosis. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate diagnostic value of the serum adenosine deaminase (ADA) levels in pulmonary tuberculosis METHODS: The study was conducted at Tirunelveli medical college government hospital tirunelveli.. Our study was carried out in 120 Cases of diagnosed Pulmonary tuberculosis, lung cancer, and non tubercular respiratory diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, pneumonia. Age and sex matched 40 healthy volunteers were taken as controls. An informed written consent was taken before collecting the blood sample. Estimation of serum ADA was done at calorimetric method by ADA Diazyme kit. RESULTS: In the present study, the mean serum ADA value in patients of pulmonary tuberculosis was 57.04 ± 10.72 U/L, and we +re compared to mean serum ADA value of 33.20±7.78 U/L, in patients of non tubercular respiratory diseases group comprising of COPD, pneumonia and with the mean serum ADA value 20.63±5.57U/L in the control group, shows significant mean difference and was also statistically significant with a p value < 0.001. The mean serum ADA levels in pulmonary tuberculosis sputum AFB positive is 57.04± 10.72 U/L are significantly higher when compared to controls. CONCLUSION: The conclusion of this study is that, serum ADA levels are significantly raised in patients of both sputum AFB positive compared to healthy controls and non tubercular respiratory diseases. As estimation of serum ADA levels is simple and inexpensive, can be used routinely to differentiate Pulmonary tuberculosis from non tubercular respiratory diseases particularly if the diagnosis is in doubt as in cases of suspected sputum AFB smear negative pulmonary tuberculosis.