OBJECTIVETo study the basic pathogenesis of "asthenia of healthy energy and blood stasis" in liver cirrhosis studied by Chinese syndromes and serum proteomics.

METHODSThe information of four methods of examinations and serum samples were collected from 44 cases of male cirrhotic patients and 17 cases of healthy male volunteers. The different syndrome groups were summarized according to syndrome differentiation and frequency analysis using the patient's information of four methods of examinations. The serum proteins were isolated by magnetic beads and detected by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). The proteins expressed differently between cirrhotic patients of different syndrome types and healthy volunteers were analyzed by statistical analysis software (product of Bruker Corporation ClinProTools 2.1 software). The diagnosis model was established by QC algorithm.

RESULTSThe liver cirrhosis syndrome with the appearance frequency of more than 30% was sequenced from high to low as fatigue, listlessness, spider telangiectasia, liver palms, anorexia, bleeding from the nose, the gum or the subcutaneous tissue, the abdominal distention, shortness of breath while moving, dim facial complexion, pricking pain of the flank, weak waist and knees, dull pain in the flank, burning sensation of five centers, or low fever, hectic fever, and night sweat. The cases belonging to Child-Pugh A in the seventeen patients of the Pi-qi asthenia syndrome group accounted for 64.7%. The cases belonging to Child-Pugh C in the twelve patients of the Gan-Shen yin deficiency syndrome group accounted for 66.7%. The cases belonging to Child-Pugh A were similar to the cases belonging to Child-Pugh C in the fifteen patients of the blood stasis syndrome group, being more than 40%. Such syndromes as spider telangiectasia, liver palms, shortness of breath while moving, burning sensation of five centers, or low fever, hectic fever, and night sweat, varicose vein of the abdominal wall, and edema of lower extremities appeared more frequently in Child-Pugh C than in Child-Pugh A (all P < 0.05). The characteristic protein expression peak with mass-to-charge ratio of 4642.81, 4963.91, 5247.8, 5805.95, 6305.27, and 12447.7 in the Pi-qi asthenia syndrome diagnosis model were chosen. The former five peaks could be found in Child-Pugh A and Child-Pugh C. The protein expression peak with mass-to-charge ratio of 9 290. 3 was the characteristic protein expression peak in the Gan-Shen yin deficiency syndrome diagnosis model. The protein expression peak with mass-to-charge ratio of 9290.06 and 7 768. 29 were down-regulated in the Gan-Shen yin deficiency syndrome group compared with the other two syndromes groups. The protein expression peaks 9290.3 and 7768.29 were included in the diagnosis model of hepatitis B cirrhosis. They did not appear in Child-Pugh A, while they were gradually down-regulated in Child-Pugh B and Child-Pugh C. Of the other seventeen protein expression peaks in patients of the Gan-Shen yin deficiency syndrome, eight expressed in Child-Pugh A. The protein expression peaks 4964.55 and 5806.83 that expressed both in Child-Pugh A and Child-Pugh C constituted the characteristic protein peaks of the hepatitis B cirrhosis blood stasis diagnosis model. The diagnosis model of the Pi-qi asthenia syndrome was established with the sensitivity of 100% and the specificity of 82.35%. The diagnosis model of the Gan-Shen yin deficiency syndrome was established with the sensitivity of 100% and the specificity of 94.12%. The diagnosis model of the blood stasis syndrome was established with the sensitivity of 100% and the specificity of 100%.

CONCLUSIONSAsthenia of healthy energy and blood stasis was the basic pathogenesis during the whole process of liver cirrhosis. Asthenia of healthy energy covers Pi-qi asthenia and Gan-Shen yin deficiency. Gan-Shen yin deficiency was obvious in the compensation stage of liver cirrhosis, but it has manifested in this stage. So early treatment was necessary.