[Relationship between Chinese medicine syndrome and peripheral blood stem cells in patients with ischemic heart failure].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship of Chinese medicine syndromes with heart function and peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) count in patients with ischemic heart failure (IHF). METHODS: Clinical materials of 208 inpatients with IHF were collected and the characteristics of their Chinese medicine syndromes were summarized, the number of PBSC was counted with flow cytometer, and the differences of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and PBSC count related to various syndrome factors and syndrome types were compared using One-way ANOVA. RESULTS: LVEF >50% was found in patients with syndromes of qi-deficiency, yin-deficiency, turbid-phlegm and blood-stasis, while <50% in those of yang-deficiency and fluid-retention, showing significant differences between the former four syndromes and the latter two syndromes. Compared them with syndromes of qi-deficiency, yin-deficiency, turbid-phlegm and blood-stasis, NT-proBNP in the yang deficiency group and water retention group was higher (P<0.01); the PBSC count in patients with yang-deficiency syndrome factor was the least, which was significantly different to that in patients with the former four syndromes (P<0.01, P<0.05), but it was insignificantly different to that with water-retention; LVEF >50% in syndrome types of Xin-Fei qi-deficiency, deficiency of qi and yin, qi-deficiency with blood-stasis and phlegm accumulation in Fei, but <50% in syndrome types of Xin-Shen yang-deficiency and yang-deficiency with water-retention. Compared them with syndrome types of Xin-Fei qi-deficiency, deficiency of qi and yin, qi-deficiency with blood-stasis and phlegm accumulation in Fei, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05, P<0.01); The highest level of NT-proBNP was shown in syndrome type of yang-deficiency with water-retention, the secondary was in Xin-Shen yang-deficiency, and all showed significant differences as compared with that in other syndrome types (P<0.05); while difference of PBSC count in patients with various syndrome types showed insignificance (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Chinese medicine syndrome is correlated with heart function and PBSC count in patients with IHF, and the PBSC count in patients with characteristics of yang-deficiency syndrome is lower.

[Association between the number of peripheral blood stem cells and cardiac function index in patients with ischemic heart failure].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the association between the number of peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) and cardiac function index (NYHA grade, left ventricular ejection fraction, LVEF, N-terminal-proB-type Natriuretic Peptide, NT-pro BNP) in patients with ischemic heart failure (IHF). METHODS: A total of 199 patients hospitalized in our department between August 2007 and April 2008 due to IHF were included in this study. NYHA grade, LVEF (measured by echocardiography), plasma NT-proBNP and number of PBSC were analyzed. RESULTS: PBSC number was significantly decreased in proportion with increasing NYHA grade and PBSC number was significantly lower in patients with NYHA IV than that with class II and III (all P<0.01). LVEF was positively correlated with PBSC number (r = 0.35, P = 0.001), NT-proBNP was negatively correlated with PBSC number (r = - 0.39, P = 0.009). Multiple regression analysis showed that LVEF and NT-proBNP were major determinants of PBSC (Beta = 0.14, - 0.25, 95% CI = -0.01 - 0.02, -0.18 - -0.04, P<0.05, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: PBSC number was significantly correlated to cardiac function in IHF patients.

Serum proteomes of hypertension patients with abundant phlegm-dampness.

OBJECTIVE: To study the serum proteomes of essential hypertension (EH) patients with abundant phlegm-dampness, and try to find special proteins associated with abundant phlegm-dampness syndrome. METHODS: Fifty-nine hypertension patients were included, and the patients were divided into abundant phlegm-dampness syndrome group (39 cases) and non-phlegm-dampness syndrome group (20 cases). To find the special proteins associated with abundant phlegm-dampness, the EH patients with non-phlegm-dampness and another 30 healthy persons were regarded as control. Weak cation nano-magnetic beads were used to capture proteins in serum, and proteomic fingerprint was made by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). All the proteomic fingerprints were analyzed by Biomarker Wizard 3.1 Software. Then Biomarker Patterns Software (BPS) 5.0 was used to identify the differentiated proteins, which could induce phlegm-dampness. RESULTS: There were 102 differentiated protein peaks between abundant phlegm-dampness and the control group. The best markers of abundant phlegm-dampness were protein peaks with the mass to charge ratio (m/z) of 9,334.958 m/z (the expression increased), 9,280.191 m/z (the expression decreased), 8,030.794 m/z (the expression increased), and 2,941.551 m/z (the expression increased). These four protein peaks found by BPS could induce abundant phlegm-dampness. They could be used to separate the abundant phlegm-dampness syndrome from the healthy persons and the hypertension patients with non-phlegm-dampness. The sensitivity of the model was 93.103% (27/29), specificity was 92% (23/25), false positive rate was 8% (2/25), false negative rate was 6.897% (2/29) and Youden's index was 85.103%. Blind test data indicated a sensitivity of 90% (9/10) and a specificity of 88% (22/25), and the false positive rate was 12% (3/25), false negative rate was 10% (1/10), and Youden's index was 78%. CONCLUSION: The differentiated proteins between the abundant phlegm-dampness group and the control group are the material foundation of abundant phlegm-dampness. The selected differentiated proteins can be used to distinguish the EH patients with abundant phlegm-dampness from the healthy persons and the EH patients with non-phlegm-dampness. The molecular biology diagnosis model can offer an objective and accurate way for TCM syndrome differentiation.

[Influence of shenfu injection on heart function and bone marrow stem cell mobilization in patients with chronic heart failure of coronary heart disease].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the influence of Shenfu Injection (SFI) on heart function and bone marrow stem cell mobilization in patients with chronic heart failure. METHODS: Sixty-three patients of coronary heart disease (CHD) with chronic heart failure were randomly assigned to the control group (32 cases) and the treatment group (31 cases). Western medical conventional treatment was given to all patients, but SFI was given once a day to patients in the treatment group additionally at the dose of 40 mL by dripping after dilution. After one week of treatment, the cardiac function indexes, including left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), stroke volume (SV) and cardiac output (CO), as well as the number of CD34+ stem cells in the peripheral blood were detected and compared. RESULTS: After treatment, all the three cardiac function indexes were improved obviously in both groups (P < 0.01), but the improvement in the treatment group was more significant than that in the control group (P < 0.05). CD34+ stem cells were insignificantly changed in the control group after treatment, while it significantly increased in the treatment group (P < 0.01), showing significant difference between groups. CONCLUSION: SFI can significantly enhance the systolic function of heart, increase the number of CD34+ stem cells in the peripheral blood, and promote the mobilization of bone marrow stem cells, which is possibly one of its acting mechanisms for improving the cardiac function.