Fig. 4.

ECLIA counts of size-exclusion chromatography fractionated serum samples from healthy volunteers and from patients with NAFL, NASH, and NASH-HCC. The mean values of ECLIA counts for a IgM-free AIM, b IgM-free AIM/IgM-bound AIM ratio, c IgM-bound AIM, and d IgM determined from the fractionated samples in each disease (25 serum samples from healthy volunteers (n = 5), and from patients with NAFL (n = 5), NASH (n = 5), and NASH-HCC (n = 10)). a IgM-free and b IgM-free AIM/IgM-bound AIM ratio were significantly higher in patients with NASH-HCC. c IgM-bound AIM and d IgM were relatively higher in patients with NASH and NASH-HCC. **p < 0.001, *p < 0.05 (Mann–Whitney U-test). AIM apoptosis inhibitor of macrophage, ECLIA electrochemiluminescence immunoassay, HCC hepatocellular carcinoma, NAFL non-alcoholic fatty liver, NASH non-alcoholic steatohepatitis