Serum human epididymis protein 4 concentrations are associated with severity of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis

Abstract Background Human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) has been recognized as a biomarker which elevated in various diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of serum HE4 in pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). Methods Serum HE4 concentrations were determined in 127 PTB, 88 chronic bronchitis (CHB), and 105 healthy control subjects by chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and Spearman's correlation analysis were performed for investigating value of HE4. Results Serum HE4 concentrations were significantly increased in PTB (62.8 pmol/L, IQR 45.8-90.7), compared with that of CHB (50.2 pmol/L, IQR 42.3-64.3, P=0.0002) and normal control (35.4 pmol/L, IQR 31.1-42.9, P Conclusions Elevated serum HE4 concentration could be used as a biomarker for the diagnosis and assessment of disease severity in PTB.