Fig. 2.

Serum levels of GFAP in different patient cohorts. (A) GFAP serum levels in patients with cirrhosis with (n = 50) or without CHE (n = 85) and healthy individuals (n = 15). (B) GFAP serum levels in patients from the Mainz cohort with cirrhosis with or without CHE. (C) GFAP serum levels in patients from the Lübeck cohort with cirrhosis with or without CHE. (D) GFAP serum levels in patients without a history of OHE with or without CHE. (E) GFAP serum levels in patients with HE2 and CHE, and without HE. Data are presented as boxplots with median, IQR, and range. Differences between two independent groups (e.g. CHE vs. no CHE) with metric data were evaluated using a Mann–Whitney U test. Differences between three or more groups with metric data were evaluated using an ordinary one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple-comparisons test. In (E), HE2 vs. CHE, p = 0.744 (ns). ∗ p <0.05, ∗∗p <0.01, ∗∗∗p <0.001. ∗∗∗∗p <0.0001. CHE, covert hepatic encephalopathy; GFAP, glial fibrillary acidic protein; HE2, grade 2 hepatic encephalopathy; OHE, overt hepatic encephalopathy.