## 2 Results
### Immunohistochemistry-maximum
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l l l l l l l l} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Parameter**} & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**Group A**} & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**Group B**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Group C**} \\ \cline{2-7}  & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Before (n = 30)**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**After (n = 30)**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Before (n = 30)**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**After (n = 30)**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Before (n = 30)**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**After (n = 30)**} \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{K67— epidermis epidermis (area in \%)} & Mean \(\pm\) SD & 12.03 \(\pm\) 10 & 4.25 \(\pm\) 3.09 & 11.89 \(\pm\) 10.3 & 6.84 \(\pm\) 4.68 & 12.1 \(\pm\) 8.76 & 5.31 \(\pm\) 5.11 \\  & M & 8.13 & 3.43 * & 8.0 & 4.8 & 9.08 & 4.05 * \\  & Min–Max & 1.47–31.99 & 0.42–13.71 & 0.66–32.23 & 1.05–17.61 & 0.33–32.23 & 0.45–18.74 \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{K67—(area in \%)} & Mean \(\pm\) SD & 1.85 \(\pm\) 1.33 & 5.54 \(\pm\) 6.08 & 1.48 \(\pm\) 0.55 & 2.2 \(\pm\) 2.2 & 1.5 \(\pm\) 0.83 & 1.83 \(\pm\) 0.67 \\  & M & 1.35 & 2.64 * & 1.49 & 1.29 & 1.35 & 1.85 * \\  & Min–Max & 0.58–4.98 & 2.64–7.56 & 0.68–2.56 & 0.03–7.02 & 0.29–3.72 & 0.87–3.11 \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{PCNA— epidermis (area in \%)} & Mean \(\pm\) SD & 10.57 \(\pm\) 4.66 & 4.49 \(\pm\) 2.17 & 11.06 \(\pm\) 5.32 & 6.03 \(\pm\) 2.2 & 12.02 \(\pm\) 9.97 & 10.37 \(\pm\) 5.11 \\  & M & 8.71 & 4.31 * & 11.04 & 6.0 * & 9.46 & 9.92 \\  & Min–Max & 4.15–17.09 & 1.5–9.06 & 2.66–22.57 & 3.21–9.24 & 2.58–50.9 & 1.81–17.63 \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{PCNA—ders (area in \%)} & Mean \(\pm\) SD & 1.58 \(\pm\) 1.38 & 2.45 \(\pm\) 0.77 & 1.54 \(\pm\) 1.34 & 1.87 \(\pm\) 0.46 & 1.65 \(\pm\) 1.11 & 2.8 \(\pm\) 1.3 \\  & M & 1.33 & 2.43 * & 1.0 & 2.13 & 1.66 \(\pm\) 1.06 & 2.87 * \\  & Min–Max & 0.2–4.1 & 0.75–3.56 & 0.2–4.12 & 1.16–2.3 & 0.33–3.69 & 1.01–5.79 \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{MMP2— dermis (area in \%)} & Mean \(\pm\) SD & 10.66 \(\pm\) 5.07 & 12.97 \(\pm\) 5.62 & 10.56 \(\pm\) 5.29 & 12.36 \(\pm\) 8.1 & 8.6 \(\pm\) 3.7 & 10.87 \(\pm\) 4.52 \\  & M & 10.56 & 14.37 * & 9.69 & 8.08 & 7.78 & 10.86 * \\ \cline{1-1}  & Min–Max & 4.11–17.14 & 4.87–23.11 & 3.56–17.37 & 4.64–30.03 & 3.56–18.4 & 4.33–25.07 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}  
* M: median; Min–Max: minimum–maximum; SD: standard deviation, n: number of analyzed areas in slides. Group A: micro-needle mesotherapy + snail mucus 98.2%; Group B: micro-needle mesotherapy + NaCl; Group C: needle-free mesotherapy + snail mucus 98.2%.
* \(p<\) 0.05 vs. respective “before” (non-parametric Mann–Whitney U test).  
\end{table} 
Table 2: Semi-quantitative determination of Ki67, PCNA, and MMP2 before and after the end of the treatment series. After the application of the snail mucus preparation in combination with the series of treatments carried out in group A, 3 months after their completion, a decrease in Ki-67 expression from 8.13% to 3.43% in the epidermis and an increase in its immunoexpression in the dermis from 1.35% to 2.64% were observed. A decrease in the percentage of PCNA immunoexpression in the epidermis from 8.71% to 4.31% and its increase in the dermis from 1.33% to 2.43% were also observed. When MMP-2 immunodization was analyzed in the dermis, an increase in its content was observed from 10.56% to 14.37%. All differences were statistically significant. After the series of treatments in group B, 3 months after their completion, slide reductions in Ki-67 immunoexpression in the epidermis from 8% to 4.8% and in the dermis from 1.49% to 1.29% were observed, along with a decrease in PCNA expression within the epidermis from 11.04% to 6% and its increase in the dermis from 1% to 2.13%. However, all the above-mentioned differences were insignificant. Three months after the end of the treatment series in group C, the immunoexpression of Ki-67 decreased in the epidermis from 9.08% to 4.05% and increased in the dermis from 1.35% to 1.85% (statistically significant difference). There was no significant difference in PCNA content in the epidermis in this group. A significant increase in PCNA content was observed in the dermis from 1.66% to 2.87%.