Table 3.

Application of proteomics in the studies of TCM syndrome

Disorder *	Analytes and methods	Results	Conclusions	Reference
Unstable angina patients with blood stasis syndrome	Plasma proteins Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry	Five proteins (Fibrinogen β chain, fibrinogen γ chain, α1-antitrypsin, haptoglobin β chain and haptoglobin α2 chain) were significantly highly expressed in the plasma of these patients, whereas four proteins (ApoA-IV, ApoA-I, transthyretin and ApoJ) were decreased in their plasma. The proteins expressed higher could be divided into three categories according to their functions: acute phase reactive protein, apolipoprotein and blood coagulation protein.	It was speculated that unstable angina patients with blood stasis syndrome may be related to inflammation, lipid metabolism, and coagulation abnormalities.	20
Kidney-Yang deficiency syndrome	Serum proteins with immunoglobulins and albumin removal Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry	Twenty six proteins were found twofold up-regulated levels whereas 33 proteins were down-regulated at least twofold. Among these identified proteins, 33 proteins might be related to human Kidney-Yang deficiency syndromes.	Protein function analysis found that 33 kinds of differential expression of protein were related to Kidney-Yang deficiency syndrome.	21
Ganyang Huafeng syndrome and Xuexu Shengfeng syndrome	Proteins of peripheral blood monouclear cells Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, Coomassie Brilliant Blue staining, PDQuest analysis software, and MALDI-TOF-MS	The good 2-DE pattern including resolution and reproducibility was obtained. Fifteen spots were incised and analysed by MALDI-TOF-MS. All proteins preliminarily identified, were related to cytoskeleton, anti-oxidative stress, protein degradation, signal transduction and cell cycle, etc.	Preliminary identification showed differentially expressed proteins related with the cytoskeleton, anti-oxidative stress, protein degradation, signal transduction, cell cycle regulation, etc.	22
Stagnation of blood type of coronary heart disease	Plasma proteins Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, PDQuest analysis software, and MALDI-TOF-M	Compared with normal plasma, three proteins decreased and six proteins increased in blood plasma of stagnation of blood type of coronary heart disease, the increased proteins included fibrinogen, granzyme, immunoglobulin.	Fibrinogen and granulocyte enzymes are expected to be diagnostic markers for stagnation of blood type of coronary heart disease.	23
Splenic asthenia syndrome	Proteins of small intestinal epithelia Splenic asthenia syndrome animal models, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis technology, improved technique of Coomassie brilliant blue staining, PDQuest software, MALDI-TOF-MS	Thirty-three proteins were identified, of which the expression of 27 proteins decreased whereas six proteins increased. After treated with traditional dry Radix Ginseng decoction, the increasing expressions of the proteins mostly were down-regulated and the decreasing expressions of the proteins mostly were up-regulated. The functions of identified proteins were almost related to the main functions of small intestinal cell.	The main protein features of intestinal epithelial cells of Spleen-type mice showed two-way changes in protein expression, and the down-regulation was the main mode. Differential expression of proteins involved various parts of cells. The regulation on cell proteome by White Ginseng Decoction may be one of the important mechanisms of white ginseng invigorating the spleen.	24
Noxious heat blood stasis syndrome (NH-BS)	Serum proteins NH-BS animal models, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis technology, improved technique of Coomassie brilliant blue staining	Thirteen proteins, in the serum of rats with NH-BS significantly changes compared with the normal control group, of which 11 proteins were up-regulated and two proteins were down-regulated. After being treated with RPR, five of the increased proteins significantly decreased whereas one of the decreased significantly increased.	Paeonia may regulate certain proteins points such as xPr1, xPr2, xPr3, xPr4, xPr9 and xPr16 to treat noxious heat blood stasis syndrome.	25
Liver stagnation syndrome	Serum proteins Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, improved technique of Coomassie brilliant blue staining	Compared with the normal control group, 12 proteins were differentially expressed in the serum of patients with liver stagnation syndrome.	The replicable and stable serum protein techniques were established; the serum of patients with the same symptom but different diseases were made preliminary screening and 12 different protein spots were found.	19

^*The corresponding concepts of Chinese medicine please refer to footnote indicators in Table 1.