Diagnostic value of pleural fluid SMRP, CA125, MMP-7, and MMP-9 in malignant pleural effusion

This study aimed to investigate the clinical value of mesothelin soluble related peptide (SMRP), cancer antigen 125 (CA125), matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7), and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in benign and malignant pleural exudative effusion. A total of 105 adult patients with pleural exudative effusion admitted in our hospital from December 2019 to December 2020 were selected. Patients were divided into the benign group (n = 60) and the malignant group (n = 45) according to their condition. The levels of SMRP, CA125, MMP-7, and MMP-9 in the pleural effusion were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to analyze the individual and combined predictive value of SMRP, MMP-7, MMP-9, and CA125 levels. In the malignant group, the SMRP, CA125, MMP-7, and MMP-9 levels were all significantly higher than those in benign group (P = .01). The detection efficiency of the 4 indicators in the combined diagnosis were higher than that of single index and combination of any 2 indices. There was a moderate positive correlation between SMRP and CA125 and MMP-7 in malignant pleural effusion. The correlation between MMP-7 and MMP-9 was moderately positive. The diagnostic efficacy of SMRP combined with CA125, MMP-7, and MMP-9 in pleural effusion for malignant pleural effusion and BPE are better than single index, which has certain clinical values for the selection of early intervention scheme for BPE patients.