This study was design ed to invesligate the relation betwern hmg -ancer and lgA level in broncho­ alvcolarlavagefluid and serum. 24 patients wilh proven lung cmwer (group A) were compa red with /2 pati enls with benign chesl diseases (group B) and 12 healthy subjects (Group C). It was concluded that
lgA concentrations in BAL fluid in the cancer involved lung (Mi.04 llll?ldl) were increased when com­
par ed with those of pati enls u•ith benign chest diseases ( 18.75 mgldl) or when compared with those nor­ mal control subjects ( 17.5 m[:ld/). The lgA concentra tions in IJALjluid of the cancer involved lung were also increased when comparl'd wilh those o.L the contralateral concrr fr ee lrmg (26.17 mgldl). The di­ agnostic utility of lgA in both BALfluid and in serum can he r •co111111ended to be used for screening of indi1•iduals with hig her risk o_(/ ung cancer of the parietal pl eura. group A (n = 28) with evidence ofruberculous granulation /issue, and group B (n
= 12) wirh evidence of chronic non-specific injlammarion. Only 8 cases (31%)) in group A, and one
case (8%) in group B were positive forM. tuberculosis by PCR. Those 8 cases represented 73% of all
(II) culture positi ve patienrs forM. tuberculosis. It thus can be concluded from the results obtained in
the current investigarion that PCR is not rhe method of choice in diagnosing ruberculous effusion. It was
also observed rhat the PCR is more or less related ro the results obtained by the culture for M. tu­
berculosis than ro rhe results obtained by the hisropathologic examination as the PCR resulrs showed
73% sensitivity in theformer and only 3I% in the Iauer.