Patent ID: 7939282

Claim:
A method for detecting sepsis or a risk of developing sepsis in a subject, comprising contacting a subject-derived sample with an isolated antibody or with a GRK binding fragment of said antibody that binds to both a complex of granzyme K protein (GRK)/GRK inhibitors and uncomplexed GRK, wherein the binding specificity of said antibody or said GRK binding fragment thereof consists of one or more GRK epitope(s) contained in residues 182-197 of SEQ ID NO:1 or residues 189-205 of SEQ ID NO:1, determining binding of said antibody or said binding fragment to GRK in said sample to determine a level of total or uncomplexed GRK in said sample, and detecting sepsis or a risk of developing sepsis in the subject by detecting an increase in the level of total or uncomplexed GRK in said subject-derived sample compared to that of a normal control level of GRK.