[Epidemiologic study on basic TCM syndrome in the subhealth population in the Zhengzhou area].

OBJECTIVE: To study the distribution characteristics of clinical manifestation and TCM basic syndromes in the subhealth population. METHODS: The investigation list for basic syndrome of subhealth used in the study was formulated through retrieving a large amount of literatures, referring to principles of epidemiology, computer science, mathematics and international metrics, and according to the standard denoting figure of GR/T 1.1-2000 and ZY/T001.1-94. The data obtained were analyzed by the statistical methods like multiple factor analysis and cluster analysis to explore the distribution of main symptoms and syndromes in the subhealth condition. RESULTS: The analysis of data from 2,133 lists showed that in the Zhengzhou area, the main clinical symptoms presented in the subhealth population were aversion to cold, fatigue, spontaneous perspiration, poor memory, bad-temper, short breath, palpitation, etc.; with the syndrome key elements of deficiency, dampness, phlegm, stagnancy, stasis, qi-stagnation, and body fluid loss; the dysfunction of zang-fu organs was mainly observed in Xin, Pi, Shen, Gan, Dan, Wei, Fei, etc.; and the most commonly encountered basic syndromes were Xin-Pi deficiency, Xin-Shen deficiency, Gan-qi stagnation, Pi insufficiency with dampness stagnation, phlegm-qi cementation, Shen-yin deficiency, Shen-yang deficiency, qi insufficiency, Gan-stagnancy transforming to fire, damp-heat accumulation, etc. CONCLUSION: The clinical manifestation of the subhealth population in the Zhengzhou area is characterized by a syndrome composed of a certain main symptom with some other accompanied symptoms, the distribution of the basic syndrome is mainly dominated by the deficiency syndrome.

[Changes of endocrine and immune function in subjects of yang deficiency constitution].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the changes of endocrine, cyclic nucleotide and immune systems in subjects of yang deficiency constitution, and to explore the relationship among characteristics and causes of yang deficiency constitution, the physiological and biochemical parameters. METHODS: Based on the diagnostic criteria for the clinical epidemiological investigation, sixty subjects of yang deficiency constitution and fifty of normal constitution were selected. Eight milliliters venous blood were taken from overnight fasted subjects at 8:00-9:00. The sera were obtained by centrifugation of the blood at the speed of 3000 r/min for 5 minutes, and they were stored at -70 degrees C until use. The serum levels of corticosterone, cortisol, adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), thyrotropic-stimulating hormone (TSH), interleukin-1beta and interleukin-2 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; the cAMP/cGMP ratio was also computed; and the differences of the above indexes were compared between the two types of subjects. RESULTS: The serum levels of corticosterone, interleukin-1beta, TSH and cAMP/cGMP ratio of yang deficiency constitution significantly increased as compared with those of normal constitution, and the serum levels of cortisol, ACTH, cGMP and FT4 of yang deficiency constitution significantly decreased in comparison with those of normal constitution. CONCLUSION: Subjects of yang deficiency constitution may be not only related to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis, but also related to the functional disorders of cyclic nucleotide and immune systems.