USE OF SMOC2 AS A NON-INVASIVE BIOMARKER FOR DEVELOPING ALCOHOLIC OR NON-ALCOHOLIC STEATOHEPATITIS

The present invention relates to a method for determining the risk of a subject having or developing NASH or ASH, the method comprising A) determining in a blood sample from a subject, the level of SPARC-related modular calcium-binding protein 2 (SMOC2); B) comparing said determined level to a reference level; and determining that said subject is at risk of having NASH or ASH, if said level is above said reference level, or determining that said subject is not at risk of having NASH or ASH if said level is equal to or below said reference level. The present invention also relates to a method for determining the effect of a treatment protocol against NASH or ASH for a subject as well as use of blood sample levels of SMOC2 from a subject as a biomarker for the risk of said subject of having or developing NASH or ASH, or staging NASH or ASH for said subject.