Laboratory examination
Patients’ blood values, including albumin, INR (international normalized
ratio), and CRP (C-reactive protein), were obtained following 8 hours of
overnight fasting. A haematology analyser (Beckman Coulter LH 780, FL,
USA) was carried out to obtain the results of the complete blood
samples, while CRP was measured using a biochemical analyser (Beckman
Coulter AU 680).