A systematic study of Erzhu Erchen decoction against damp-heat internalized type 2 diabetes based on data mining and experimental verification

Background:Erzhu Erchen decoction(EZECD),which is based on Erchen decoction and enhanced with Atractylodes lancea and Atractylodes macrocephala,is widely used for the treatment of dampness and heat(The clinical manifestations of Western medicine include thirst,inability to drink more,diarrhea,yellow urine,red tongue,et al.)internalized disease.Nevertheless,the mechanism of EZECD on damp-heat internalized Type 2 diabetes(T2D)remains unknown.We employed data mining,pharmacology databases and experimental verification to study how EZECD treats damp-heat internalized T2D.Methods:The main compounds or genes of EZECD and damp-heat internalized T2D were obtained from the pharmacology databases.Succeeding,the overlapped targets of EZECD and damp-heat internalized T2D were performed by the Gene Ontology,kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes analysis.And the compound-disease targets-pathway network were constructed to obtain the hub compound.Moreover,the hub genes and core related pathways were mined with weighted gene co-expression network analysis based on Gene Expression Omnibus database,the capability of hub compound and genes was valid in AutoDock 1.5.7.Furthermore,and violin plot and gene set enrichment analysis were performed to explore the role of hub genes in damp-heat internalized T2D.Finally,the interactions of hub compound and genes were explored using Comparative Toxicogenomics Database and quantitative polymerase chain reaction.Results:First,herb-compounds-genes-disease network illustrated that the hub compound of EZECD for damp-heat internalized T2D could be quercetin.Consistently,the hub genes were CASP8,CCL2,and AHR according to weighted gene co-expression network analysis.Molecular docking showed that quercetin could bind with the hub genes.Further,gene set enrichment analysis and Gene Ontology represented that CASP8,or CCL2,is negatively involved in insulin secretion response to the TNF or lipopolysaccharide process,and AHR or CCL2 positively regulated lipid and atherosclerosis,and/or including NOD-like receptor signaling pathway,and TNF signaling pathway.Ultimately,the quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting analysis showed that quercetin could down-regulated the mRNA and protein experssion of CASP8,CCL2,and AHR.It was consistent with the results in Comparative Toxicogenomics Database databases.Conclusion:These results demonstrated quercetin could inhibit the expression of CASP8,CCL2,AHR in damp-heat internalized T2D,which improves insulin secretion and inhibits lipid and atherosclerosis,as well as/or including NOD-like receptor signaling pathway,and TNF signaling pathway,suggesting that EZECD may be more effective to treat damp-heat internalized T2D.

Study on Sustainable Utilization of Resources of the Damp-heat Karst Mountainous Areas in China

Damp-heat karst mountainous areas are unique areas in terms of socialeconomic development, resource endowment and eco-environment in China, where natural resources are abundant,unique and diverse. However, fragile eco-environment, undeveloped economy and culture, and conflict of human and environment should not be ignored. In the research, a framework of integration of resource-development and environment-protection in damp-heat karst was designed on basis of resource and environment integration, which was applied to Daxin County in Guangxi Province. Furthermore, some integration models were proposed, including integration of development of characteristic agricultural resources and protection of eco-environment, integration of development of manganese ore resources and protection of eco-environment, integration of development of tourism resources and protection of ecoenvironment and integration of development of clean energy and protection of eco-environment.

Effect of the Haoqinqingdan decoction on damp-heat syndrome in rats with influenza viral pneumonia

Objective: To investigate the effect of Chinese medicine prescription-Haoqinqingdan decoction on damp-heat syndrome in rats with influenza viral pneumonia and its influence on the immune function. Methods: A total of 48 Wistar rats were randomly divided into the normal control group, the damp-heat syndrome model group, the Haoqinqingdan decoction group (high, medium and low dose group) and the ribavirin group. The body temperature and weight of rats in each group were recorded after modeling. After treatment for 6 d, the concentration of T lymphocyte subgroup (CD3+ CD4+ , CD3+ CD8+ ) was determined by flow cytometry. The OD value of IFN毭/IL-4 was detected by double-antibody sandwich ELISA method, and its concentration was acquired through conversion. Results: After modeling, the temperature and weight of rats in each modeling group showed the increasing trend ( P<0.01). From the second day of treatment, there was significant difference in the body mass between groups, and the rat weight of the control group was higher than in the modeling group ( P<0.05 or 0.01). With the advances of treatment, only the temperature in the medium and high dose Haoqinqingdan decoction groups declined significantly ( P<0.05). After treatment, the CD4+ /CD8+ ratio of the damp-heat syndrome model group decreased more significantly compared with the control group. Elevated CD3+ CD8+ percentages and declined CD4+ /CD8+ ratios can be observed in the low dose group and ribavirin group ( P<0.05). Moreover, the CD3+ CD4+ percentage of ribavirin group was lower than in the control group ( P<0.05). After treatment, the IFN-毭 and IFN-毭/ IL-4 levels in the peripheral blood of rats in the dampheat syndrome group were obviously higher than in the control group ( P<0.05). Conclusions: Compared with ribavirin, the high dose Haoqinqingdan decoction can improve the ratio of T lymphocyte subgroup and Th1/Th2 cell balance more effectively.

Screening of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prescription for Treating Damp-heat Diarrhea of Piglets

[Objective] The paper was to explore the therapeutic effect of traditional Chinese medicine on damp-heat diarrhea of piglets in summer.[Method] Three prescriptions were developed with a dozen of traditional Chinese medicines,and in vitro antibacterial test against swine standard Escherichia coli [O149：K91,K88 ac（C83907）] was conducted.Moreover,106 natural cases of diarrhea piglets caused by coinfection of damp-heat and E.coli through clinical and laboratory diagnosis were then treated.[Result] The oral liquids prepared by three traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions had certain antibacterial effect on standard pathogenic E.coli.Prescription 2 presented the strongest inhibitory effects on swine E.coli in vitro,with the MIC of 31.25 mg/m L.It had better therapeutic effect,and the effective rate reached 94.74%.[Conclusion] The prescription 2 mainly consisted of Coptis chinensis and Prunus mume might be effective in treatment of piglet diarrhea caused by damp heat and E.coli in clinic.

"Heterozygous Treatment"Method to Improve the Biased Status of the Damp-Heat Constitution and Symptom Integral:Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective:To observe the clinical effect of"heterozygous treatment"intervening the damp-heat constitution.Method:One hundred and six cases with damp-heat constitution were randomly divided into the observation group and control group,fifty-three cases for each group.Lianpu drink was given to the two groups,and the observation group was treated with scraping,acupuncture,cupping,constitution care and popularization of constitution science for"heterozygous treatment"based on the control group.70 days later,"constitution classification and determination table of traditional Chinese medicine"was used to determine,and statistics was applied to analyze the change of the symptoms of the two groups before and after the intervention.Results:in the observation group,compared to before the intervention,symptoms like dirty and oily complexion,yellow greasy tongue,bitter taste,dullness and scanty dark urine were significantly improved(P<0.05),and improvement of the above symptoms was greater than the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion:There is no significant difference between the two groups(P>0.05).Conclusion:the"heterozygous treatment"method can significantly improve the clinical symptoms of people with damp-heat constitution,with a better role in regulating.

The role of endothelial biomarkers in predicting damp-heat syndrome in diabetic kidney disease

Objective:To explore the role of endothelial biomarkers in predicting damp-heat syndrome in diabetic kidney disease(DKD).Methods:A total of 183 patients with DKD were divided into 3 groups:the early DKD group,established DKD group,and advanced DKD group.All patients were classified according to traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome type,and clinical indexes were collected for statistical analysis.Results:A total of 183 DKD patients were included in this study.Fibroblast growth factor 23(FGF23),chitinase-3-like protein 1(CHI3L1),endocan,tumor necrosis factor receptor 1(TNFR1),secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor(SLPI),and vascular endothelial growth factor A(VEGF-A)were increased in advanced DKD.FGF23,CHI3L1,endocan,SLPI,and TNFR1 showed a negative correlation with estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR),while they had a positive correlation with 24 h urine protein.After adjusting for age,gender,diabetes duration,body mass index(BMI),hemoglobin,glucose,uric acid,24 h urine protein,cholesterol,triglyceride,low-density lipoprotein,and hemoglobin A1c(HbA1c),the multiple regression analysis showed that FGF23,endocan,TNFR1,and SLPI significantly correlated with eGFR.Conclusions:FGF23,endocan,TNFR1,and SLPI are elevated in advanced DKD compared with early stage,and they may take part in the pathogenesis and progression of DKD.Our study provides useful biomarkers for predicting the appearance of damp-heat syndrome,including FGF23,endocan,TNFR1,and SLPI.

Observation on the Therapeutic Effect of Heatclearing and Dampness-eliminating Dredging Collaterals Combined with Papaya Antirheumatic Pills on Treatment of Damp-heat Obstructive Ankylosing Spondylitis

Objective:Therapeutic effect of heatclearing and dampness-eliminating dredging collaterals combined with papaya antirheumatic pills on treatment of damp-heat obstructive ankylosing spondylitis.Methods:A total of 200 patients with ankylosing spondylitis who were treated in our hospital from January 2018 to October 2019 were selected as the research objects and randomly divided into 2 groups,each with 100 patients.The control group was treated with leflunomide+papaya antirheumatic pills,and the observation group was treated with self-drafted recipe of heat-clearing and dampness-eliminating,the curative effect,visual analogue score(VAS),barthel AS function index(BASFI)score,biochemical indicators and adverse reactions between the two groups were compared.Results:After 12 weeks of treatment,the efficacy of the observation group was higher than that of the control group.The pain score,BASFI score,and biochemical index were lower than those of the control group,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05);There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups(P>0.05).Conclusion:Heat-clearing and dampnesseliminating dredging collaterals combined with papaya antirheumatic pills is effective in the treatment of damp-heat obstructive ankylosing spondylitis,which is beneficial to reduce the degree of pain and inflammation of the affected area,helps patients remain active,and improves activities of daily living.

Efficacy of Pidan Jianqing decoction in treatment of type 2 diabetes with spleen deficiency and damp-heat syndrome

Introduction:This study aimed to assess the clinical efficacy of Pidan Jianqing decoction in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.Methods:A total of 72 patients with type 2 diabetes differentiated as spleen deficiency with damp-heat syndrome were randomly assigned to a treatment group(n=35)or control group(n=32).Patients in the control group received diet and exercise guidance and medication in the form of 0.5 g metformin hydrochloride tablets,while patients in the treatment group received Pidan Jianqing decoction in addition to the treatment given to the control group.Efficacy was evaluated after 8 weeks of treatment.Results:Efficacy was 91.4%in the treatment group versus 68.8%in the control group,which was a statistically significant difference(P<0.05).Significant group differences were also noted in the number of patients with improvement in symptoms such as dry mouth and polydipsia,frequency of urination and polyuria,abdominal distention and loss of appetite,fatigue and weakness,and sticky stools(all P<0.05),with greater improvement in the treatment group compared to the control group.The fasting blood glucose(FBG)and 2 h postprandial blood glucose levels significantly improved in both groups after treatment(P<0.05);however,there was no significant difference in glycated hemoglobin levels before and after treatment in both groups.Conclusion:Pidan Jianqing decoction can lower blood glucose levels and improve symptoms in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Clinical Efficacy of Western Medicine Combined with Chinese Medicine for Pelvic Inflammatory Disease(Damp-Heat and Stasis Type)

Objective:This study was undertaken to evaluate the clinical efficacy of Western medicine combined with Chinese medicine for pelvic inflammatory disease(damp-heat and stasis type).Methods:Seventy-four patients who were diagnosed with pelvic inflammatory disease(damp-heat and stasis type)by our hospital during July 2021 to July 2022 were randomized into two groups:the participants in the control group received conventional Western medicine treatment,and the participants in the study group received Western medicine combined with Chinese medicine.Results:After treatment,the total effectiveness of the control group(72.98%)was significantly lower than that of the study group(94.59%),(P<0.05);the whole blood viscosity high cut,whole blood viscosity low cut,fibrinogen and plasma viscosity of the control group were all lower than those of the study group(P<0.05);the levels of CRP,IL-6,and TNF-αin the control group were higher and IL-2 levels in the control group were lower than those in the study group(P<0.05).Conclusion:Western medicine combined with Chinese medicine is more effective in curing damp-heat and stasis-type pelvic inflammatory disease by improving the blood rheological indexes and lowering the level of inflammatory factors.

Clinicopathological features and expression of regulatory mechanism of the Wnt signaling pathway in colorectal sessile serrated adenomas/polyps with different syndrome types

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer(CRC)is the third most common cancer worldwide,with the fourth highest mortality among all cancers.Reportedly,in addition to adenomas,serrated polyps,which account for 15%-30%of CRCs,can also develop into CRCs through the serrated pathway.Sessile serrated adenomas/polyps(SSAs/Ps),a type of serrated polyps,are easily misdiagnosed during endoscopy.AIM To observe the difference in the Wnt signaling pathway expression in SSAs/Ps patients with different syndrome types.METHODS From January 2021 to December 2021,patients with SSAs/Ps were recruited from the Endoscopy Room of Shanghai Traditional Chinese Medicine-Integrated Hospital,affiliated with Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.Thirty cases each of large intestine damp-heat(Da-Chang-Shi-Re,DCSR)syndrome and spleen-stomach weakness(Pi-Wei-Xu-Ruo)syndrome were reported.Baseline comparison of the general data,typical tongue coating,colonoscopy findings,and hematoxylin and eosin findings was performed in each group.The expression of the Wnt pathway-related proteins,namelyβ-catenin,adenomatous polyposis coli,and mutated in colorectal cancer,were analyzed using immunohistochemistry.RESULTS Significant differences were observed with respect to the SSAs/Ps size between the two groups of patients with different syndrome types(P=0.001).The other aspects did not differ between the two groups.The Wnt signaling pathway was activated in patients with SSAs/Ps belonging to both groups,which was manifested asβ-catenin protein translocation into the nucleus.However,SSAs/Ps patients with DCSR syndrome had more nucleation,higherβ-catenin expression,and negative regulatory factor(adenomatous polyposis coli and mutated in colorectal cancer)expression(P<0.0001)than SSA/P patients with Pi-Wei-Xu-Ruo syndrome.In addition,the SSA/P size was linearly correlated with the related protein expression.CONCLUSION Patients with DCSR syndrome had a more obvious Wnt signaling pathway activation and a higher risk of carcinogenesis.A high-quality colonoscopic diagnosis was essential.The thorough assessment of clinical diseases can be improved by combining the diseases of Western medicine with the syndromes of traditional Chinese medicine.

Identification and Functional Analysis of Serum Specific miRNAs in Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis Patients with Excess-heat or Yin-deficiency

Background:The treatment of Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)in recurrent aphthous stomatitis(RAS)based on syndrome differentiation has won the international acceptance,but the molecular mechanism of excess-heat syndrome and yin-deficiency syndrome of RAS remains unclear.Objective:To clarify specific microRNAs(miRNAs)and their functions in RAS patients with excess-heat or yin-deficiency.Methods:Serum samples were collected from patients meeting the RAS diagnostic criteria of excess-heat or yin-deficiency syndrome and healthy individuals.Core miRNAs were then identified under miRNA microarray anal-yses.Target prediction and bioinformatic analyses were carried out and gene-pathway-networks were visualized to better understand the relationship between different genes and pathways.Results:(1)90 individuals meeting the inclusion criteria were collected in this study.Among them,9 miRNAs were screened out in excess-heat syndrome group(EH group),with 1 upregulated and 8 downregulated.And four miRNAs(hsa-miR-20b-5p,hsa-miR-122-5p,hsa-miR-483-5p and hsa-miR-3197)were validated by real-time PCR method.14 miRNAs were screened out in yin-deficiency syndrome group(YD group)(7 upregulated and 7 downregulated).And hsa-miR-17-5p,hsa-miR-106-5p and hsa-miR-20b-5p were validated.(2)A total of 4,776 target genes were identified in EH group which enriched in GO categories including nervous system development and calcium ion binding and pathway such as PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and Calcium signaling pathway.10,172 target genes were identified in YD group which enriched GO categories included protein binding and positive regulation of transcription from RNA polymerase II promoter and pathway included MAPK signaling pathway and Ras signaling pathway.Conclusion:Hsa-miR-20b-5p in patients with RAS could act as the novel target for the classification of the syndrome.It is upregulated in RAS patients with excess-heat syndrome while downregulated in patients with yin-deficiency syndrome.The PI3K-Akt and MAPK signaling pathways and their related target genes may provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms of RAS with excess-heat syndrome or yin-deficiency syndrome,respectively.

Clinical Observation on the Endocrinal and Immune Functions in Subjects with Yin-deficiency Constitution

Objective： To explore the relationship between yin-deficiency constitution （YDC） and biochemical indexes by way of observing the endocrinal and immune functions in subjects with YDC. Methods： On the basis of epidemiological investigation, 60 subjects with YDC and 50 with gentle constitution （GC） were selected according to the pertinent criteria. From each subject, 8 mL of fasting venous blood was drawn at 8：00-9：00 in the morning, with the serum separated by centrifugation 3 000 r/min for 5 min and preserved at -70℃ in a freezer. Serum levels of corticosterone, cortisol, adrenocorticotrophic hormone （ACTH）, cyclic adenosine monophosphate （cAMP）, cyclic guanosine monophosphate （cGMP）, free triiodothyronine （FT3）, free thyroxine （1=-1-4）, throtropic stimulation hormone, interleukin 1β （IL-1β ） and interleukin 2 （IL-2） were detected by doubleantibody sandwich ELISA; cAMP/cGMP ratio was calculated, and the difference between the two constitutions in terms of these indexes was analyzed. Results： Serum FT3 was 4.16 ± 1.38 pmol/L in subjects with YDC, which was higher than that in subjects with GC （3.71 ±0.55 pmol/L）, but levels of cortisol （124.58± 45.36 ng/mL）, ACTH （58.92± 14.55 pg/mL）, cGMP （66.00 ± 18.02 pmol/mL） and FT4 （12.33 ± 3.12 pmol/L） in YDC were lower than those in GC （13.43±2.31 pmol/L）, showing significant difference （P〈0.05）. Conclusion： YDC is related to some extent with the disturbances in the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis, cyclic nucleoside system and immune function.

Consistency between traditional Chinese medicine constitution-based classification and genetic classification

Background:We studied the consistency between two classification systems for categorizing patients:traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)constitution-based methods,versus genetic clustering.Genetic classification in constitutional identification was also evaluated.Methods:A TCM physician evaluated the constitution of each patient,according to four examinations(inspection,auscultation-olfaction,interrogation,and palpation).Those who met the criteria for Yang-deficient,Yin-deficient,and balanced constitutions were enrolled in the study.Peripheral blood samples were obtained from the participants,and peripheral blood mononuclear cells were separated from the samples within 2 hours.Total RNA extraction from the white blood cells was performed;and an Affymetrix HG-U133 Plus2.0 array was used to determine the peripheral blood gene expression profiles.The samples were classified using a support vector machine genetic classifier,and the“leave-one-out”method was used for validation.Results:The global gene expression profiles of 32 samples were grouped into three categories,and the samples in each of the gene categories corresponded with the three constitution categories.The three constitution types were distinguished using the genetic classifier with 165 genes.The accuracy of the prediction classification was greater than 95%using mathematical method.Conclusions:Participants with Yin-deficient,Yang-deficient,and balanced constitutions have varying physical characteristics and gene expression patterns.Additionally,the results from TCM constitution classification matched those obtained by genetic classification.Finally,our preliminary gene classifier distinguishes among Yin-deficient,Yang-deficient,and balanced constitutions,and provides a methodological basis for identifying the different constitutions.

Treatment of male infertility from damp heat physique

Male infertility is a common and frequently-occurring disease in andrology clinics.Its pathogenesis and clinical symptoms are complex and changeable.The treatment of traditional Chinese medicine is mostly based on dialectical treatment.Modern physicians headed by Professor Wang Qi respected the theory of physique,combined body differentiation,disease differentiation and syndrome differentiation,and put forward a new diagnosis and treatment concept of"quality differentiation and treatment".Big clinical data has confirmed that there is a correlation between Damp-Heat(Etiological terms.It refers to a disease.The combination of heat and dampness.)physique and male infertility.In order to improve the therapeutic effect of male infertility due to Damp-Heat,through the differentiation and treatment of male infertility and the analysis of the theory of Damp-Heat physique,combined with the investigation and research results of Damp-Heat physique and modern doctors’experience in the treatment of male infertility from the perspective of Damp-Heat In summary,it is concluded that correcting the formation and development of Damp-Heat physique clinically has important clinical basis and therapeutic advantages for the prevention and treatment of male infertility.

Potential Mechanism and Application of Strengthening the Spleen, Clearing Heat and Dampness in Treatment of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

Gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD)is one of refractory digestive disease in clinic characterized by high prevalence,complex and recurrent symptoms.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has a significant effect on the treatment of GERD.Spleen deficiency and damp-heat syndrome becomes one of the main syndrome patterns of GERD adapting with the changes of modern lifestyle.Although the therapy of strengthening the spleen,clearing heat and dampness is widely used in treatment of GERD,further studies still need to be conducted.The article comprehensively analyses the theoretical basis,mechanism and clinical efficacy of the therapy in order to provide more ideas for clinical treatment.

Intra-set correlation analysis of medical records of thyroid cancer treated by traditional Chinese medicine Master ZHOU Zhongying

Objective Based on intra-set correlation analysis, this paper deconstructs the clinical medical records of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) Master ZHOU Zhongying in treating thyroid cancer, and analyzes the experience in “mechanism-syndrome-medicine-prescription” for thyroid cancer.Methods Through Medcase data processing platform, based on Frequent Pattern(FP)-Growth enhanced correlation analysis algorithm, the medical records of Professor ZHOU Zhongying for the treatment of thyroid cancer from June 1, 2001 to February 28, 2015 were analyzed within the set.Results This study involved 43 medical records, 43 patients, and 167 visits. After processing intra-set correlations, 28 groups of highly correlated symptoms, 21 groups of highly correlated tongue images, 10 groups of highly correlated pulse conditions, 28 groups of highly correlated pathogenesis, 34 groups of highly correlated herbs, and 26 groups of highly correlated western medicine diagnosis were selected. Professor ZHOU Zhongying treats thyroid cancer according to syndrome differentiation. Symptoms with more association rules included neck swelling, neck pain, cough, and dry mouth;tongue images with more association rules included dark purple tongue, dark red tongue, and fissured tongue;pulse conditions with more association rules were wiry pulse, thready pulse, small pulse, and slippery pulse;the pathogenesis with more association rules was phlegm and blood stasis, damp-heat accumulation,and impairment of both Qi and Yin;herbs with more association rules were Chaihu(Bupleuri Radix), Zeqi(Sun Euphoribiae Herb), and Tiandong(Asparagi Radix);western medicine diagnosis with more association rules included thyroid cancer, insomnia, and chronic gastritis.Conclusion Thyroid cancer mostly presents as deficiency in origin and excess in manifestations. The basic pathogenesis is phlegm and blood stasis, damp-heat accumulation, and impairment of both Qi and Yin, which are closely related to liver, kidney, and spleen. Professor ZHOU Zhongying adopts both attack and supplement approaches as the general treatment principle, with a strong emphasis on regulating Qi and relieving depression, eliminating phlegm and resolving stagnation, eliminating dampness and turbidity, clearing fire and destroying poison, moistening dryness and softening hard mass, invigorating Qi and nourishing Yin, and paying attention to nourishing liver and kidney, invigorating spleen and stomach,while protecting the heart and lungs.

Logistic Regression Analysis of Damp-Heat and Cold Damp Impeding Syndrome of Rheumatoid Arthritis:A Perspective in Chinese Medicine

Objective： To investigate a method for quantitative differential diagnosis of damp-heat and cold-damp impeding syndrome of rheumatoid arthritis （RA） in Chinese medicine （CM）. Methods： Laboratory parameters were collected from 306 patients with RA. The clinical symptoms and laboratory parameters were compared between patients with these two syndromes （158 with RA of damp-heat impeding syndrome, and 148 with RA of cold-damp impeding syndrome）, and a regression equation was established to facilitate discrimination of the two RA syndromes. Results： There were significant differences in disease activity score in 28 joints [DAS28 （4）], erythrocyte sedimentation rate （ESR）, white blood cell count （WBC）, C-reactive protein （CRP）, platelet count （PLT）, albumin （ALB） and globulin （GLB） between the two syndrome of RA （P〈0.05）. Logistic regression analysis showed that the parameters ESR, WBC, CRP, joint pyrexia, joint cold, thirst, sweating, aversion to wind and cold, and cold extremities were statistically useful to discriminate damp-heat from cold-damp impeding syndrome. The regression equation was as follows： P=1/{1＋exp[-（3.0-0.021X1-0.196X2-0.163X3- 1.559X4＋1.504X5-0.927X6-1.039X7＋1.070X8＋1.330X9）]}. The independent variables X1-X9 were ESR, WBC, CRP, hot joint, cold joint, thirst, sweating, aversion to wind and cold, and cold limbs. A P value 〉 0.5 signified cold-damp impeding syndrome, and a P value 〈 0.5 signified damp-heat impeding syndrome. The accuracy was 90.2%. Conclusion： The regression equation may be useful for discriminating damp-heat from cold-damp impeding syndrome of RA.

Objective Tongue Inspection on 142 Liver Cancer Patients with Damp-Heat Syndrome

Objective： To establish the diagnosis evidence of objective tongue inspection for liver cancer （LC） patients with damp-heat syndrome （DHS） by dynamically observing their tongue figures using modern tongue image analytic apparatus, and to explore the effect of intervention on the tongue figures. Methods： Tongue figures were collected from 142 LC patients with DHS by tongue image analytic apparatus. Red （R）, green （G） and blue （B） values were analyzed. The r and g values were calculated requesting r=R/（R＋G＋B）, g=G/（R＋G＋B）, and b=l-r-g, and scored in combination with Chinese medical symptoms scale. The tongue figure and correlated scores were collected from 59 of them 3 days after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization intervention. Results： The range of objective tongue inspection of LC patients with DHS was as follows： as for tongue fur, 0.360〈r〈0.402 and 0.280〈g〈0.322; as for tongue proper, 0.404〈r〈0.470 and 0.243〈g〈0.301. The tongue figures and the average scores of quality of life, DHS, poor appetite, aggravated pain, decreased sleep quality and aggravated fever were obviously changed in the 59 LC patients with DHS after intervention, showing statistical difference when compared with before intervention （P〈0.05 or P〈0.01）. Conclusion： The range of objective tongue inspection of LC patients with DHS could be known by collecting and analyzing objective indicator of tongue figures, thus laying foundation for further studies with analysis of correlation between intervention and Chinese medicine based on tongue figures.

Observation on Therapeutic Effects of Acupuncture for Erectile Dysfunction

Objective： To observe the clinical effects of acupuncture treatment for erectile dysfunction. Methods： Eighty-two cases of the patients with erectile dysfunction were identified as two patterns of kidney yang deficiency and damp-heat in lower jiao and were treated with different acupoints for different patterns. Results： The total curative rate was 87.6%. The curative rate was 45.0% in pattern of kidney yang deficiency and 59.1% in pattern of damp-heat in lower jiao. Conclusion： The clinical effect in acupuncture treatment of erectile dysfunction was related to the age of the patients and duration of disease. The higher the age and the longer the duration, the poorer the therapeutic effects were. The curative rate was higher in the treatment of pattern of damp-heat in lower jiao than pattern of kidney yang deficiency.

Assessment of Clinical Effect of Therapy Combining Disease with Syndrome on Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objective： To observe the effectiveness and safety of a therapy combining disease with syndrome on rheumatoid arthritis. Methods： Eighty patients with rheumatoid arthritis belonging to syndrome of damp-heat obstruction were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group according to stratified blocked randomization method.Forty cases in the control group orally took Loxoprofen Sodium Tablet and Leifumite Tablet and the other 40 cases in the treatment group orally took a Chinese medicine for 12 weeks as a course of treatment. ACR therapeutic effect was used as the standard for evaluating the total therapeutic effect. Results： After l 2 weeks of treatment, there was a statistical difference （P〈0.01） in the improvement of VAS score, morning stiffness time, number of swelling joints, index of swelling joints, number of joints with tenderness, index of joints with tenderness, average grip strength of both hands, DSA28 score, HAQ, patient＇s assessment, physician＇s assessment, ESR, CRP and RF in both groups. The improvement of morning stiffness time, number of swelling joints, index of swelling joints, grip strength, HAQ and patient＇s assessment in the treatment group was much better than that in the control groups with statistical difference （P〈0.05）. ACR20, ACR50 and ACR70 was 27.5% （11/40）, 37.5% （15/40） and 22.5% （9/40） respectively in the treatment group and 40% （16/40）, 27.5% （11/42） and 10.0% （4/40） respectively in the control group with statistical difference （P〈0.05） in the superiority of the treatment group over the control group. The incidence of adverse reaction in the control group was higher than that in the treatment group （P〈0.05）. Conclusion： Definite therapeutic effect and high safety can be achieved in using the therapy combining disease with syndrome to treat rheumatoid arthritis belonging to syndrome of damp-heat obstruction.