OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between pathogenesis for Yin-deficiency of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and immediate prognosis as well as its neuro-endocrine mechanism.

METHODSAccording to the TCM standard of Syndrome Differentiation of Deficiency Syndrome, 194 patients with AMI were classified into the typical Yin-deficiency group (n = 26), the non-typical Yin-deficiency group (n = 61) and the non-Yin-deficiency group (n = 107). Their venous blood samples were collected in the morning while lying on their backs to detect plasma levels of adrenaline, noradrenaline, aldosterone, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), corticoid and myocardial enzymes, as well as their hospitalization days and mortality in hospitalized period were calculated and compared in the three groups, with the 30 healthy persons as control.

RESULTSLevels of serum creatine phosphokinase, creatine phosphokinase isozyme, plasma adrenaline, noradrenaline, aldosterone, hospitalization days and mortality were higher in the Yin-deficiency groups than in the non-Yin-deficiency group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). As compared the indexes between the typical and the non-typical Yin-deficiency groups, significant difference only showed in plasma aldosterone and ANP, which was significantly higher in the former (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Plasma corticoid level was insignificantly different between the Yin-deficieny groups.

CONCLUSIONPatients with AMI of Yin-deficiency type was severer in myocardial damage, with longer hospitalization period and higher mortality, it is probably due to the hyper-activated sympathetic-adrenaline system and strengthened activity of aldosterone in them.