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In order to evaluate local immunity in patients with carcinomatous pleurisy and tuberculous pleurisy, lymphocyte subsets of peripheral blood and pleural effusion were investigated, using two-color flow cytometry. Comparing carcinomatous pleurisy to tuberculous pleurisy, percentages of CD16⁺ cells, CD56⁺ cells, CD57⁺ cells, CD20⁺ cells, CD16⁺CD57⁺ subsets, CD16⁺CD57⁻ subsets, CD3⁺CD56⁺ subsets, CD16⁺HLA-DR⁺ subsets, CD3⁻CD16⁻CD56ᵇʳͥᵍʰᵗ⁺ subsets and CD8⁺CD11b⁺ subsets were significantly increased in carcinomatous pleural effusions ; percentages of CD3⁺ cells and CD4⁺ cells, and CD8⁺CD11b⁻ subsets were decreased in carcinomatous pleural effusion ; and percentages of CD8⁺ cells, CD4⁺Leu-8⁺ subsets, CD4⁺Leu-8⁻subsets, CD4⁺CD45RA⁺ subsets, CD4⁺CD45RA⁻ subsets, CD3⁺HLA-DR⁺ subsets, CD3⁺CD38⁺ subsets, CD4⁺HLA-DR⁺ subsets and CD8⁺HLA-DR⁺ subsets were not significant. These results indicate an immunological difference between carcinomatous pleurisy and tuberculous pleurisy. Further, they may lead to a new method for the therapy of carcinomatous pleurisy.