Numerous studies have shown that caspase cleaved cytokeratin 18 (cCK18) is elevated in the serum of liver disease patients and has been associated with disease severity, thus associating both excessive apoptosis and caspase activity with disease. Studies have also shown that caspase cleaved cytokeratin 18 is generally elevated to an even greater degree in cirrhosis than in other liver diseases. In addition, increasing stages of cirrhosis from Child-Pugh A, Child-Pugh B to Child-Pugh C are associated with progressively higher levels of caspase cleaved cytokeratin 18. Therefore, it appears that apoptosis and caspase activity tend to correlate with the stage of cirrhosis. A caspase inhibitor like IDN-6556 could have clinical utility by reducing the rate of apoptosis in cirrhotic patients and potentially reduce the progression of disease as determined by clinical markers of progression.