Correlation between indexes of exfoliated cells of tongue coating and Traditional Chinese Medicine syndrome differentiation in patients with chronic gastritis / 国际中医中药杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To explore the correlation between the indexes of tongue coating exfoliated cells and the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndromes of patients with chronic gastritis.Methods:One hundred and forty-eight patients with chronic gastritis in our hospital from March 2017 to May 2018 were selected and divided into 4 groups, including 36 patients with spleen and stomach weakness syndrome, 39 patients with liver-stomach discordance syndrome, 32 patients with stomach yin deficiency syndrome, and spleen and 41patients with stomach damp-heat syndrome according to the TCM classification. In addition, another 50 healthy people without cold and heat deficiency syndrome were selected as healthy control group. The maturity index (MI) and mature value (MV) of tongue coating exfoliated cells, chemical indicators and cell cycle of tongue coating exfoliated cells were detected. The spearman rank correlation method was used to analyze the indicators of tongue coating exfoliated cells and TCM syndromes.Results:Compared with the healthy control group, the subjects with spleen and stomach weakness syndrome, liver-stomach discord syndrome, stomach-yin deficiency syndrome, spleen-stomach damp-heat syndrome showed significantly higher percentage of intermediate cells [(14.85 ± 4.03) % vs. (26.47 ± 3.94) %, (22.32 ± 5.41) %, (31.47 ± 3.28) %, (35.62 ± 3.96) %, P<0.05], significantly lower percentage of surface cells [(85.15 ± 5.33) % vs. (73.53 ± 6.47) %, (77.68 ± 5.38) %, (68.53 ± 4.20) %, (64.38 ± 4.39) %, P<0.05], and significantly lower percentage of MV value [(92.61 ± 3.74) % vs. (83.52 ± 3.10) %, (87.64 ± 2.95) %, (79.38 ± 3.21) %, (75.63 ± 2.83) %, P<0.05]. Compared with the healthy control group, the ACP, LDH, SDH, and -SH in tongue coating exfoliated cells of subjects with spleen and stomach weakness syndrome, liver and stomach discordance syndrome, and stomach yin deficiency syndrome were all significantly decreased ( P<0.05), while ACP, LDH, SDH, and -SH in subjects with spleen and stomach damp-heat syndrome were all significantly increased ( P<0.05). the percentage of cells in G1 phase of subjects with gastric yin deficiency and spleen and stomach damp-heat syndrome were significantly decreased ( P<0.05), while the percentage of S phase cells were significantly increased ( P<0.05). Spearman rank correlation analysis showed that each syndrome type was correlated with ACP, LDH, SDH, -SH ( r values were 0.608, 0.712, 0.704, 0.631, respectively, all Ps<0.05). Conclusion:Patients with different TCM syndromes of chronic gastritis may have different morphological changes of tongue coating exfoliated cells, large differences in cell cycle, and different levels of cell biochemical indicators.