Figure 3. Cytokeratin 18 and soluble Fas levels as noninvasive markers for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.
Caspase 3-generated CK18 fragments are produced during hepatocyte apoptosis and can be detected using a monoclonal antibody (M30), both in the liver and in blood. The Fas–Fas ligand complex is a key part of the extrinsic pathway in the hepatocyte apoptotic cascade, and soluble Fas can be measured in the serum using ELISA.
CK18: Cytokeratin 18.