Biomarkers For The Identification of Liver Damage

摘要

Methods and kits for characterizing liver damage in an individual are provided. The methods employ the use of immune analytes as biomarkers for detecting liver damage and predicting the likelihood that an individual suffering from liver damage will experience life-threatening liver failure. Concentration values for serum albumin and other identified immune analytes are obtained or determined from a blood sample taken from the individual. The obtained concentration values are then compared to corresponding concentrations from individuals having a healthy liver. By comparing the concentrations, an individual's likelihood of developing life-threatening liver failure and needing a liver transplant within a given time period (e.g., 6 months) can be identified.

主权项

1. A method of characterizing liver damage in an individual, the method comprising:
a. directly or indirectly obtaining a concentration value for serum albumin in a blood sample from the individual; b. directly or indirectly obtaining a concentration value for one or more immune analytes selected from the group consisting of: TNFα; IL-12; IL-17; IL-4; IL-5; IL-13; IL-9; MIP-1β; RANTES; FGF b; and PDGF-bb in the blood sample from the individual; c. determining if the serum albumin concentration value from step (a) is (i) less than or equal to 2.8 g/dL or (ii) greater than 2.8 g/dL; d. comparing the one or more immune analyte concentrations from step (b) with corresponding median immune analyte concentrations from healthy individuals to determine if any of the one or more immune analyte concentrations from step (b) is less than the corresponding median immune analyte concentrations from healthy individuals; and e. identifying the individual as having
i. life-threatening liver damage if the serum albumin concentration value from step (a) is less than or equal to 2.8 g/dL and each of the one or more immune analyte concentrations from step (b) is less than the corresponding median immune analyte concentrations from healthy individuals; orii. non-life-threatening liver damage if the serum albumin concentration value from step (a) is greater than 2.8 g/dL, and/or the immune analyte concentrations from step (b) are not all less than the corresponding median immune analyte concentrations from healthy individuals.