OBJECTIVETo study the serum proteomics in hypertension patients with Gan-Dan damp-heat syndrome (GDDH) for tentatively find special proteins associated with the syndrome.

METHODSStudy was performed in 60 hypertensive patients and 39 healthy persons as control. In the patients enrolled, 40 were differentiated as GDDH syndrome and the other 20 as non-GDDH syndrome. Their serum proteins were captured by weak cation nano-magnetic beads, and proteomic fingerprint was made by matrix assistant laser demodulation ionizing time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) through mapping with protein chip reader type PBS II-C. After all the proteomic fingerprints being analyzed by Biomarker Wizard 3.1, the special expressed proteins for GDDH syndrome were identified by Biomarker Patterns Software 5.0 to create the syndrome decision model.

RESULTSTotally, 182 difference protein peaks between patients of GDDH and healthy persons (P<0.05); and 132 difference protein peaks between patients of GDDH and non-GDDH were detected (P<0.05). A decision model consisted 5 screened out protein peaks with mass-to-charge ratio of 2761.555, 6624.362, 2487.192, 2461.610 and 2744.318 was created, which could well differentiate the GDDH syndrome, with the sensitivity of 96.55%, specificity of 90%, false positive rate of 10% and false negative rate of 3.45%. Further blind test for prospective check showed its sensitivity being 81.82%, specificity 89.66%, false positive rate 10.34% and false negative rate 18.18%.

CONCLUSIONThe differently expressed protein is the material foundation of GDDH syndrome; molecular biological decision model established on the basis of this foundation can offer a tool for making Chinese medicine syndrome differentiation more objectively and accurately.