The invention relates to a method of diagnosing non-alcoholic
steatohepatitis (NASH) using molecular markers. The inventive method
consists in detecting and quantifying, in vitro in a hepatic tissue
sample, the levels of a protein which can be used as a NASH molecular
marker and which is selected from apolipoprotein A1, sub-unit .beta. of
the mitochondrial ATPase, leukotriene A4 hydrolase, keratin 18, guanidine
acetate N-methyltransferase, superoxide dismutase, albumin, antioxidant
protein 2 (isoform 1), prohibitin 1, methionine adenosyl transferase,
long-chain acyl CoA dehydrogenase, selenium binding protein, antioxidant
protein 2 (isoform 2), and combinations of same. The invention further
consists in comparing the results obtained with the normal values of said
proteins in healthy hepatic tissue. Said method can be used to diagnose
NASH and/or to assess a patient's potential risk of developing NASH.