Patient characteristics and biomarker levels
| No. | % Male | Age mean (range) | Plasma fibulin-3 (ng/mL) Median (IQR)* | Plasma mesothelin (nM) Median (IQR)* | Pleural effusion fibulin-3 (ng/mL) Median (IQR)* | Pleural effusion mesothelin (nM) Median (IQR)* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARD | 49 | 92 | 77 (59–88) | 29.3NS (21–41) | 0.629*** (0.3–1.28) | NA | NA |
| PE non-malignant | 35 | 65 | 68 (40–84) | 17.5** (12–22) | 0.3*** (0.3–1.40) | 441NS (164–1482) | 3.6*** (2.3–7.6) |
| PE malignant (non-MM) | 36 | 61 | 67 (20–93) | 17.1** (12–21) | 0.99*** (0.3–1.81) | 208NS (93–752) | 7.4*** (4.1–12.9) |
| MM | 82 | 91 | 70 (47–86) | 28.0ref (20–47) | 2.67ref (1.37–7.01) | 446ref (204–1408) | 27.2ref (11–73) |
*Significant difference between indicated groups and the MM group as the reference (* p<0.05; ** p<0.001; *** p<0.0001).
ARD, asbestos-related disease; MM, malignant mesothelioma; NS, non-significant, PE, pleural effusion.