CD163 and total blood protein measurement: As expected, sCD163 levels in the lesion of TBP patients were almost twice those in plasma (2116.0 ng/ml vs 1236.0 ng/ml, P < 0.0001, Fig. 4c), and a similar result was seen in patients with MPE (1820.0 ng/ml vs 783.6 ng/ml, P < 0.0001, Fig. 4c).