Patent ID: 8415117

Claim:
A method for assessing prognosis in an individual suffering from alcoholic cirrhosis, which method comprises: (a) (i) contacting a plasma sample from the individual with a population of neutrophils not from the individual to produce a test population of neutrophils, and (ii) providing a control sample comprising a population of neutrophils from another individual having a normal liver function wherein said control sample is not contacted with said plasma sample; (b) assessing the ability of the test population of neutrophils of (a)(i) to phagocytose; and (c) comparing said ability of said test population to phagocytose with the ability of said control sample of neutrophils of (a)(ii) to phagocytose; wherein a lower level of neutrophil phagocytosis in said test population, as compared with the level of neutrophil phagocytosis in said control sample is indicative of a prognosis of at least one condition selected from the group consisting of organ failure and mortality.