Discriminant functions in differential diagnosis of hypercalcemic patients
Gibb, J.A.; Ogston, S.A.; Paterson, C.R.; Evans, J.R.
Clinical Chemistry 36(2): 358-361
1990
ISSN/ISBN: 0009-9147 PMID: 1967987 Document Number: 365734
Using readily available biochemical assays of plasma and urine constituents, we have defined discriminant functions useful as a guide to the differential diagnosis of patients with hypercalcemia. The decreasing rank order of contribution of the variables to the discriminant functions was as follows: plasma albumin, plasma phosphate, plasma chloride, log10 (calcium excretion per liter of glomerular filtrate), and log10 (plasma gamma-glutamyltransferase). Discriminant functions have been defined by patients with values for plasma creatinine above and below 185 .mu.mol/L, and for practical conditions in which plasma and urine samples, or plasma samples only, are available.