Patent ID: 7244619
Filing Date: 2007-07-17
Classification: G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of detecting liver disease characterized by the growth of scar tissue between areas of functional liver tissue or a change in the gradation of liver disease characterized by the growth of scar tissue between areas of functional liver tissue in a mammal, said method comprising: a) obtaining a sample of serum or blood plasma from the mammal, said sample representing a total mixture of serum or plasma proteins; b) generating a first profile of N-linked carbohydrates or fragments derived therefrom, or labeled derivatives of said N-linked carbohydrates or said N-linked carbohydrate fragments, or features of said N-linked carbohydrates or said N-linked carbohydrate fragments that are determined by the structure of said N-linked carbohydrates or said N-linked carbohydrate fragments; said N-linked carbohydrates or said N-linked fragments being obtained from the total mixture of serum or plasma proteins present in the serum or plasma sample from said mammal, wherein said first profile represents the diversity and concentration of N-linked carbohydrate moieties of the total mixture of serum or plasma proteins in said sample, c) measuring in the first profile an amount of at least one N-linked carbohydrate or N-linked carbohydrate fragment or a labeled derivative of said N-linked carbohydrate or said carbohydrate fragment, or a feature of at least one N-linked carbohydrate or N-linked carbohydrate fragment present in said N-linked carbohydrate profile, d) comparing the measured amount obtained in step c) with the quantified amount of said same at least one N-linked carbohydrate or N-linked carbohydrate fragment or said same at least one labeled derivative of said N-linked carbohydrate or said carbohydrate fragment, or said same at least one feature of said N-linked carbohydrate or N-linked carbohydrate fragment obtained from profiles derived from mammals free of said liver disease in order to detect either liver disease characterized by the growth of scar tissue between areas of functional liver tissue or, in the gradation of liver disease characterized by the growth of scar tissue between areas of functional liver tissue, wherein said profiles derived from mammals free of said liver disease represent the diversity and concentration of carbohydrate moieties of the total mixture of serum or plasma proteins of said mammals, and e) attributing the results of the comparison obtained in step d) to detect said liver disease or a change in the gradation of said liver disease in said mammal of step a).