Patent ID: 8252548

Claim:
An in vitro method for the detection of early-stage reversible liver damage caused by liver-damaging drugs or other substances harmful for the liver, said method comprising: (a) determining an amount of human enzyme carbamoyl phosphate synthase (CPS1) or a fragment thereof having CPS 1 immunoreactivity in a serum or plasma sample of a patient who has been exposed to potentially liver-damaging drugs or potentially hepatotoxic substances; (b) concomitantly with (a) determining a concentration of at least one of a liver enzyme selected from the group consisting of GOT (glutamate oxalacetate transaminase), GPT (serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase), GLDH (glutamate dehydrogenase), gamma-GT (gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase), sorbitol dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, LT (alanine amino-transferase), AST (aspartate amino-transferase), GDH (glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase), HD (lactate dehydrogenase), cholinesterase, LAP (leucine amino-peptidase), GGPT (glutamyl transpeptidase in said sample; (c) comparing the amount of CPS1 or fragment thereof in the sample with an amount of CPS1 in healthy individuals; and (d) concluding that early stage liver damage is present in the patient if the amount of CPS 1 in said sample is elevated above the amount of CPS1 in healthy individuals but the concentration in said sample of a liver enzyme determined in (b) is in the normal range.