Caspase 1 is a cysteine protease activator of inflammatory processes which may be detected using a variety of chromogenic and fluorogenic peptide substrates build around the YEVD (Tyr-Glu-Val-Asp) sequence. These substrates include: Ac-YEVD-pNa (Ac-Tyr-Glu-Val-Asp-p-nitroanalide), chromogenic and Ac-YEVD-AMC (Ac-Tyr-Glu-Val-Asp-7-amino-4-methylcoumarin), fluorogenic.