ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To explore changes of serum protein fingerprinting in primary liver cancer (PLC) patients of different Chinese medical syndromes before and after interventional treatment detected by surface enhanced laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS). METHODS: Totally 154 PLC patients were assigned to 5 groups, i.e., Gan depression syndrome (GDS, 37 cases), Pi deficiency syndrome (PDS, 45 cases), dampness heat syndrome (DHS, 18 cases), blood stasis syndrome (BSS, 28 cases), yin deficiency syndrome (YDS, 26 cases). The mass spectra of serum proteins was analyzed by using SELDI-TOF-MS. Then the correlation between Chinese medical syndrome types and the mass spectra of serum proteins was explored before and after interventional treatment. RESULTS: Compared with the healthy control group, the expression of serum proteins peak was down-regulated in GDS with M/Z being 6 589 and 4 182 Da, in DHS with M/Z being 5 710 Da, in YDS with M/ Z being 6 992 Da, while it was up-regulated in PDS with M/Z being 5 816 Da and in BSS with M/Z being 4 297 Da, showing statistical difference (P < 0.01). Compared with before intervention, the expression of serum proteins peak was down-regulated in GDS with M/Z being 6 589 and 4 182 Da, in PDS with M/Z being 5 816 Da, in DHS with M/Z being 5 710 Da in BSS with M/Z being 4 297 Da, while it was up-regulated in YDS with M/Z being 6 992 Da, showing statistical difference (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: There was statistical difference in changes of serum protein fingerprinting in PLC patients of different Chinese medical syndromes before and after interventional treatment.