The same disease with different syndromes: a proteomic study of chronic hepatitis B / 南方医科大学学报

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the differential proteomic profiles of the plasma in patients with chronic hepatitis B presenting with damp-heat retention syndrome and liver stagnation-spleen deficiency syndrome.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) were used to identify the differentially expressed proteins in the plasma of patients with chronic hepatitis B.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The numbers of plasma proteins detected in healthy volunteers, patients with damp-heat retention syndrome, and patients with liver stagnation-spleen deficiency syndrome were 278±16, 320±14 and 343±19, respectively. Seven differential protein spots were successfully identified by mass spectrum, and were classified into immunological proteins, inflammatory proteins, and lipid metabolism-related proteins.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>In patients with chronic hepatitis B, the multiple differential proteins between damp-heat retention syndrome and liver stagnation-spleen deficiency syndrome suggests the diverse molecular basis of traditional Chinese medicine syndromes, and they might be the molecular tags for different syndromes of the same disease.</p>