The Biotrin range of hepatic biomarkers comprise proteins with defined locations in the liver which are readily released into the bloodstream in response to injury. These biomarkers can localize hepatic injury to exact sites and reveal its time course in great detail. These biomarkers offer new opportunities in the fields of drug development and clinical applications / research.

 

The Biotrin range of liver biomarkers include alpha-GST, pi-GST and Collagen IV. These biomarkers are specific indicators for liver damage in hepatocytes, billiary epithelial cells and the basement membrane respectively. The Biotrin range of hepatic biomarkers are available for use with human/primate, rat/mouse and cell culture (in vitro) samples.

Hepatocellular Injury
Alpha Glutathione S-Transferase (alpha GST) is an intracellular leaky biomarker found in hepatocytes in all regions of the liver lobule. It forms 2-5% of total protein in hepatocytes. Alpha GST is readily released into the bloodstream in the event of hepatocellular injury. Alpha-GST is released in greater quantities and earlier than the traditional transaminases and information on this is available in the links below;

Clinical Applications
Preclinical Hepatotoxicity

Billiary Tree Injury
Pi-GST is an intracellular leaky biomarker found in the billiary epithelial cells. This marker is an excellent indicator of billiary and hepatic carcinomas using plasma samples due to its up-regulation in cancer cells.

Fibrosis
Collagen IV forms the framework of basement membranes and is one of the earliest components to be deposited during their development8. In healthy livers, collagen IV is restricted to the periportal region, but with the development of fibrosis, it is deposited throughout the liver lobule. Serum collagen IV levels correlate with the extent of collagen IV deposition in the liver and increased serum levels seem to indicate that active fibrosis is occurring.

Preclinical Hepatotoxicity	Clinical Hepatology	Biomarkers & Drug Discovery