Comparison of the plasma concentrations of acetate, propionate, butyrate and the total of the three SCFAs in patients with NAFL, NASH and NALFD-cirrhosis and participants with HCs. (A) Concentrations of acetate in HCs (500.59±53.48 µg/ml), and in patients with NAFL (689.28±355.86 µg/ml), NASH (482.13±174.61 µg/ml) and NAFLD-cirrhosis (309.93±99.83 µg/ml). (B) Concentrations of propionate in HCs (218.76±131.06 µg/ml) and in patients with NAFL (406.24±349.64 µg/ml), NASH (206.16±83.86 µg/ml) and NAFLD-cirrhosis (159.99±86.42 µg/ml). (C) Concentrations of butyrate in HCs (199.91±96.30 µg/ml) and in patients with NAFL (294.13±149.36 µg/ml), NASH (221.39±79.06 µg/ml) and NAFLD-cirrhosis (109.52±124.65 µg/ml). (D) Concentrations of the total three SCFAs in HCs (919.27±247.06 µg/ml) and in patients with NAFL (1,389.64±809.15 µg/ml), NASH (909.68±243.02 µg/ml) and NAFLD-cirrhosis (579.44±112.09 µg/ml). *P<0.05, **P<0.01 and ***P<0.001. HCs, healthy controls; NAFLD, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; NAFLD-cirrhosis, NAFLD-related cirrhosis; NASH, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis; SCFAs, short-chain fatty acids.