RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between the patterns of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndromes and the serum concentration of zinc, iron, copper and magnesium of patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and hepatitis B virus (HBV)-induced liver cirrhosis. METHODS: A total of 86 patients were included in the study between March 1, 2009 and January 1, 2010. All were diagnosed with CHB or HBV-induced liver cirrhosis according to the diagnosis standard of the Chinese Medical Association. Fasting serum concentrations of zinc, iron, copper and magnesium were measured. Patients were classified into different patterns of TCM symptoms according to TCM theory and clinical experience. RESULTS: In the HBV-induced liver cirrhosis group, the mean zinc concentration in patients with the TCM pattern of stagnation of fluid-Dampness was lower than that in patients with obstruction of collaterals by Blood stasis (P < 0.034). In the CHB group, the mean magnesium concentration in patients with toxic Heat flourishing was significantly lower than that in those with Damp-Heat in the Liver and Gallbladder, and those with Liver depression and Spleen deficiency (P < 0.021). The concentrations of iron and copper showed little difference among the different TCM symptom patterns. CONCLUSION: The serum zinc and magnesium concentrations correlated with certain TCM patterns of symptoms in patients with HBV-induced liver cirrhosis and CHB. It may be helpful to interpret the pathogenic change in the TCM symptom patterns in liver cirrhosis and CHB, and also to conduct clinical treatment of the diseases based on identified TCM patterns.