Efficacy of acupoint catgut embedding therapy for phlegm-turbidity and blood-stasis metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease

Table 5 Comparison of instantaneous liver stiffness measurement and liver fibrosis panel

		Instantaneous LSM (KPa)	HA (μg/mL)	LN (μg/mL)	PCIII (μg/mL)	IV-C (μg/mL)
ACET group	Before treatment	9.27 ± 3.37	243.10 ± 83.42	186.49 ± 58.76	123.41 ± 24.26	130.63 ± 30.18
	After treatment	6.25 ± 2.20a	142.15 ± 61.50a	116.88 ± 42.52a	88.02 ± 16.65a	99.02 ± 27.52a
Control group	Before treatment	9.54 ± 3.42	228.49 ± 94.93	187.98 ± 74.09	130.97 ± 28.31	139.64 ± 34.72
	After treatment	8.28 ± 2.69b	190.02 ± 98.17b	146.45 ± 57.89b	112.05 ± 21.46b	120.02 ± 21.57b

^aP < 0.05, pre- vs post-treatment in the acupoint catgut embedding therapy (ACET) group.

^bP < 0.05, ACET vs control post-treatment.

LSM: Liver stiffness measurement; HA: Hyaluronic acid; LN: Laminin; PCIII: Type III procollagen; IV-C: Type IV collagen; ACET: Acupoint catgut embedding therapy.