Fig. 3.

Improved lung function and serum markers of inflammation in HMW-HA treated patients. a HMW-HA-treated patients have lower peak pressures, as recorded by the NIV apparatus, throughout NIVVP. b paO₂/FiO₂ ratio improves significantly in HMW-HA patients. c paCO₂ improves significantly in both groups. N = 17 per group. d Joint analysis of 4 serum inflammatory markers shows a significant improvement in HMW-HA treated patients, but not in placebo patients. e Among the 2 inflammatory markers (CRP and IL-6) that decreased with treatment in both groups in a, more robust improvement can be seen in HMW-HA patients compared to placebo-treated patients. N = 13 per group