LAUSR

Abstract Introduction Spleen-yang-deficiency syndrome (SYDS) is a hot spot pattern in gastroenterology in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) clinic and has received increasing attention from clinicians because it is closely related to diseases of diarrhoea, irritable bowel syndrome, myasthenia and gastric cancer, etc. Although the symptom-based diagnostic criteria for SYDS have been suggested, the real causes are still unclear. Methods In this current study, metabolic profile comparisons of plasma for individuals with SYDS were compared with healthy volunteers by using UPLC-QTOFMS technique. Results The results showed that the metabolic profiles for those with SYDS were completely different from those of healthy controls and 15 ions were successfully identified as potential biomarkers. PC (38:4), linoleic acid, 9,10-epoxyoctadecenoic acid and gamma-linolenic acid in linoleic acid metabolism indicated a significant energy metabolism dysfunction in SYDS patients. In addition, other potential biomarkers indicated the patients may also suffer from inflammation, mind disorder and steroid hormone disorders. Conclusions These identified potential biomarkers and proposed related metabolic process show potential for the better understanding of the mechanism of TCM SYDS from a global angle.