Developing centrifugal force real-time digital PCR for detecting extremely low DNA concentration.

Digital PCR (dPCR) is a technique for absolute quantification of nucleic acid molecules. To develop a dPCR technique that enables more accurate nucleic acid detection and quantification, we established a novel dPCR apparatus known as centrifugal force real-time dPCR (crdPCR). This system is efficient than other systems with only 2.14% liquid loss by dispensing samples using centrifugal force. Moreover, we applied a technique for analyzing the real-time graph of the each micro-wells and distinguishing true/false positives using artificial intelligence to mitigate the rain, a persistent issue with dPCR. The limits of detection and quantification were 1.38 and 4.19 copies/µL, respectively, showing a two-fold higher sensitivity than that of other comparable devices. With the integration of this new technology, crdPCR will significantly contribute to research on next-generation PCR targeting absolute micro-analysis.

Adrenal insufficiency presenting as hypercalcemia and acute kidney injury.

Adrenal insufficiency is an uncommon cause of hypercalcemia and not easily considered as an etiology of adrenal insufficiency in clinical practice, as not all cases of adrenal insufficiency manifest as hypercalcemia. We report a case of secondary adrenal insufficiency presenting as hypercalcemia and acute kidney injury in a 66-year-old female. The patient was admitted to the emergency department with general weakness and poor oral intake. Hypercalcemia (11.5 mg/dL) and moderate renal dysfunction (serum creatinine 4.9 mg/dL) were shown in her initial laboratory findings. Studies for malignancy and hyperparathyroidism showed negative results. Basal cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone levels and adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation test confirmed the diagnosis of adrenal insufficiency. With the administration of oral hydrocortisone, hypercalcemia was dramatically resolved within 3 days. This case shows that adrenal insufficiency may manifest as hypercalcemia and acute kidney injury, which implicates that adrenal insufficiency should be considered a cause of hypercalcemia in clinical practice.