Serum bile acids have been shown to serve as useful indicators of liver disease. We have confirmed these findings and added an analysis of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) profiles to further differentiate viral hepatitis from toxic liver damage associated with exposure to vinyl chloride (VC) or trinitrotoluene (TNT). The frequency of elevated cholylglycine (CG) was 100%, 75%, and 37.5% in viral hepatitis, VC- and TNT-linked liver injury patients, respectively. The mean levels, expressed in micrograms/dL, were 578, 507, 142, and 65 in hepatitis B, hepatitis non-A non-B, VC and TNT liver injury patients, respectively. Thus, the CG test could detect viral hepatitis and, VC liver injury, and (less frequently) liver injury associated with exposure to TNT. The mean level of IL-1 beta in patients with hepatitis type B was 424 pg/mL and hepatitis non A non B was 384 pg/mL compared with a mean of 33-40 pg/mL in those with VC or TNT-linked liver disease. The IL-1 beta detection test proved further to be an important distinguishing parameter as it was 100% positive in patients with viral hepatitis but only 12.5% to 25% positive in patients with VC/TNT-induced liver damage.