Method for identifying the quantitative cellular composition in a biological sample

A method for producing a neutrophilic granulocytogram in a mammalian sample, the method comprising:

• epigenetically detecting neutrophil granulocyte (nGRC) cells in the mammalian sample, said epigenetically detecting comprises determining conversion of at least one CpG position with bisulfite, the at least one CpG position selected from CpG positions 1 (nucleotide 26), 2 (nucleotide 48), 3 (nucleotide 103), 4 (nucleotide 206), 5 (nucleotide 251), and 6 (nucleotide 263) in the sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 685, or respective CpG positions in the sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 686, wherein the conversion of the at least one CpG position with bisulfite is indicative of a nGRC cell when compared to a non-nGRC cell;
• quantifying the epigenetically detected nGRC cells using a normalization standard, wherein said normalization standard comprises a nucleic acid molecule comprising at least one marker-region specific for the nGRC and at least one cell-unspecific control-region, wherein said marker-region and control-region are present in the same number of copies on said nucleic acid molecule and/or on a blood cell sample of known composition;
• and
• producing the neutrophilic granulocytogram from the number of epigenetic detected nGRC cells quantified.