The association of C-reactive protein and serum amyloid P with blood stasis syndrome in Traditional Korean Medicine for general disease conditions: A cross-sectional, observational study

Abstract

IntroductionBlood stasis syndrome (BSS) in Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM) is multidisciplinary involving numerous medical specialties. However, many studies regarding biological indices have focused on BSS in the context of exploring specific diseases. MethodsA cross sectional sample of patients (regardless of their disease type) was recruited from 7 TKM hospitals. C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid P (SAP) levels were evaluated to identify whether there was an association with BSS for specific disease conditions. ResultsIn total, 412 patients (231 BSS patients) participated, and 63.1% of the patients suffered from musculoskeletal diseases. The CRP and SAP levels were significantly higher in patients with BSS (P=0.0125 and P<0.001, respectively).The patients with BSS who also suffered from musculoskeletal diseases exhibited significantly higher SAP levels than non-BSS patients (P=0.0014). However, the CRP levels were not significantly higher in BSS patients with musculoskeletal diseases compared to non-BSS patients (P=0.4468). The CRP and SAP levels also significantly correlated with BSS symptoms. The CRP levels were significantly correlated with the BSS symptoms, especially pain indicators, including nocturnal pain, sharp pain, and chronic pain. The SAP levels were significantly correlated with color indicators, including dark rings around the eyes, dark red gums, dark lumps present during menses, dark red lips, a dark facial complexion and a dark red tongue. ConclusionsThese results demonstrated that CRP and SAP levels are potentially associated with the pathogenesis of BSS in TKM and they are involved in different aspects of BSS symptoms.