TCM deficiency/excess syndrome and grading/staging of pathologic change of liver

Relationship of plasma endotoxin level with TCM deficiency/excess syndrome and grading/staging of pathologic change of liver in patients with chronic hepatitis

[Article in Chinese]

Chen Y, Du J, Wang YH.

General Hospital of Nanjing Military Region, Fuzhou (350025). chenyun@medmail.com.cn

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship of plasma endotoxin level with TCM deficiency/excess Syndrome and the grading/staging of pathologic change of liver in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). METHODS: Plasma level of endotoxin (ET) was determined using chromogenic limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) assay in 75 patients with chronic hepatitis B (30 of excess dominance, 45 of deficiency dominance) and also in 15 healthy subjects for control. Moreover, pathological examination on liver biopsy of 20 patients was conducted. RESULTS: (1) ET level increased in all CHB patients, and the increment was higher in patients of excess dominance than that in patients of deficiency dominance, showing significant difference (P < 0.01). (2) Correlation between ET level and liver pathological grading/staging was shown in CHB patients. CONCLUSION: Plasma level of ET could be taken as one of the criteria of TCM microcosmic diagnosis in differentiating deficiency/excess syndrome. (2) Endotoxemia plays an important role in pathologic process of liver injury.

Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 2004 Sep;24(9):805-7.
PMID: 15495825 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]