Objective:To evaluate the significance of interferon-inducible protein 10 (IP-10) level in the pleural effusion for the diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy. Methods:Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was adopted to detect the level of IP-10 in 43 patients with tuberculous pleurisy and 33 patients with pleural effusion associated with malignant tumor. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to determine the cut-off value and assess the sensitivity,specificity and diagnostic efficiency. Results:The concentration of IP-10 was significantly higher in tuberculous pleurisy (1 095.67 ± 556.29 pg/ml) than in malignant pleurisy (121.39±61.21 pg/ml),(P < 0.01). When 194.5 pg/ml was used as cut-off value,the sensitivity and specificity for IP-10 in diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy were 83.7% and 97.0%,respectively. And the diagnostic efficiency of IP-10 was similar to that of IFN-γ. Conclusion:Detection of IP-10 in the pleural effusion is helpful in the diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy.