Metabolic Characteristics of Spleen-Qi Deficiency Syndrome in Ulcerative Colitis

OBJECTIVE  To explore the biological basis of spleen-qi deficiency syndrome of ulcerative colitis based on non-target metabolomics.METHODS  The UC patients with spleen-qi deficiency syndrome and damp-heat syndrome were analyzed by metabolomics by LC-MS.RESULTS  There were lipid metabolism disorders in UC patients with spleen-qi deficiency. Compared with UC patients with damp-heat, the average abundance of 1-linoleoylglycerophosphocholine, lysophospholipid, sphingosine, N-palmitoyl-phosphoethanolamine, palmitoylcarnitine and O-arachidonoyl glycidol decreased in the UC patients with spleen-qi deficiency, while the average abundance of 2-linoleoyl glycerol increased. ROC curve showed that O-arachidonoyl glycidol, palmitic amide and 2-linoleoyl glycerol may be potential biomarkers of spleen-qi deficiency syndrome in UC.CONCLUSION  Metabolomics is expected to reveal the biological nature of TCM syndromes in UC.