Fig. 5

Flow diagram (according to STARD (Standards for the Reporting of Diagnostic accuracy)) of the best ELISA results compared with conventional microbiological, histopathological and adenosine deaminase (ADA) tests determined in pleural fluid (PF) and/or pleural biopsy (PB) samples for tuberculous pleural infection (PLTB) diagnosis. Note: *combinatory results of pleural fluid IgA-MT10.3-MPT64 diluted 1:50 with -MPT64 (1:100) or –F2 (1:50). OPL: other non-TB pleurisies. ¹ Patient with cancer (n = 1), patient with heart failure (n = 1), PF ADA and AFB staining tests negative, without histopathological examination; ² Patient with cancer (n = 1), PF ADA and pleural biopsy histopathology negative results, patient with lupus (n = 1), PF ADA positive, PF AFB and culture tests negative, nonspecific histopathological examination; ³ Patient with cancer (n = 2), both PF ADA negative results; 1 PF AFB and culture tests negative, nonspecific histopathological examination and another without PF ABF and histopathological examination; ⁴ Patient with cancer (n = 2), both PF ADA, AFB and culture tests negatives; nonspecific histopathological examination (n = 1) or without histopathological examination(n = 1). + = positive; − = negative; NS = Nonspecific, ND = no data (teste was not performed)