T lymphocyte Subsets Determination and DNA Ploidy Analysis in the Differential Diagnosis between Benign and Malignant Ascites.

Differentiating malignant from benign ascites often leads to confusion and an inability to exclude its multitude of causes in many patients. In the present study, T lymphocyte subsets and DNA ploidy in ascitic fluid were detected by flow cytometer. There were significant differences in T lymphocyte subsets between benign and malignant ascites. For malignant ascites, the sensitivity of DNA aneuploid is 75.6%, the specificity is 79.0%, and the accuracy is 77.6%. The results demonstrate that T lymphocyte subsets determination and DNA ploidy analysis can be used in the differential diagnosis between benign and malignant ascites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]