Biomarkers for the identification of liver damage

A method of assessing liver damage in a human subject, the method comprising:

• a. directly or indirectly obtaining a concentration value for serum albumin in a blood sample from the human subject;
• b. directly or indirectly obtaining concentration values 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 human subject;
• 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 human subjects 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 human subjects;
• and
• e. identifying the human subject 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 human subjects;
• ii. non-life-threatening liver damage if the serum albumin concentration from step (a) is greater than 2.8 g/dL, the immune analyte concentrations from step (b) are not all less than the corresponding median immune analyte concentrations from healthy human subjects, or both;
• or
• iii. normal liver function if the serum albumin concentration value from step (a) is greater than 2.8 g/dL and all of the one or more immune analyte concentrations from step (b) are greater than or equal to the corresponding median immune analyte concentrations from healthy human subjects.