Diagnosis of liver pathology through assesment of protein glycosylation

1. A method for diagnosing a liver pathology in a subject suspected of having the liver pathology comprising:

obtaining biological fluid from the subject;

contacting a protein from said biological fluid with a fucose-binding lectin, wherein said protein is selected from

Hemopexin, HBsAg, hepatitis B viral particle, alpha-1-antichymotrypsin, alpha-1-antichymotrypsin His-Pro-less, Ceruloplasmin, alpha-2-macroglobulin, alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein, Haptoglobin, Fibrinogen gamma chain precursor, immunoglobulin, APO-D, Kininogen, Histidine rich glycoprotein, complement factor 1 precursor, complement factor I heavy chain, complement factor I light chain, Complement C1s, Complement factor B precursor, complement factor B Ba fragment, Complement factor B Bb fragment, Complement C3 precursor, Complement C3 beta chain, Complement C3 alpha chain, C3a anaphylatoxin, Complement, C3b alpha′ chain, Complement C3c fragment, Complement C3dg fragment, Complement C3g fragment, Complement C3d fragment, Complement C3f fragment, Complement C5, Complement C5 beta chain, Complement C5 alpha chain, C5a anaphylatoxin, Complement C5 alpha′ chain, Complement C7, alpha-1 B glycoprotein, B-2-glycoprotein, Vitamin D-binding protein, Inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain H2, Alpha-1B-glycoprotein, Angiotensinogen precursor, Angiotensin-1, Angiotensin-2, Angiotensin-3, GARP protein, beta-2-glycoprotein, Clusterin (Apo J), Integrin alpha-8 precursor glycoprotein, Integrin alpha-8 heavy chain, Integrin alpha-8 light chain, hepatitis C viral particle, and Leucine-rich repeat-containing protein 32 precursor,

and allowing said lectin to bind to said protein;

quantifiably detecting bound lectin in the biological fluid to obtain a detected bound lectin value; and

comparing the detected bound lectin value with a reference value for lectin binding on said protein in a comparable biological fluid of subjects without said liver pathology, said detected bound lectin value relative to the reference value being indicative of the presence or absence of said liver pathology, wherein a detected bound lectin value that deviates from said reference value to a statistically significant degree is indicative of the presence of said liver pathology,

or

comparing the detected bound lectin value with a reference value for lectin binding on said protein in a comparable biological fluid of subjects in which said liver pathology is known to be present, said detected bound lectin value relative to the reference value being indicative of the presence or absence of said liver pathology, wherein a detected bound lectin value that deviates from said reference value to a statistically significant degree is indicative of the absence of said liver pathology.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said liver pathology is cirrhosis.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said liver pathology is fibrosis.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said liver pathology is hepatocellular carcinoma.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein said liver pathology is hepatitis.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the biological fluid is whole blood, serum, urine, saliva, tears, or mucous.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising separating said protein from the biological fluid prior to quantifiably detecting the lectin binding.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein said protein is separated from the biological fluid with lectins, antibodies, or polypeptides by carbohydrate-recognition domains.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lectin is coupled to a detectable moiety.