Studies On Tongue Picture And Tongue Coating Cytology Of Helicobacter Pylori Related Disease

Objective: To explore the inter-relationship between the changes of tongue picture and Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori) related disease,and to find the objective index with high specificity from the studies of tongue picture and tongue coating cytology. Method: 60 cases of gastroenteropathy patients were divided into 2 groups randomly: 30 cases in H.pylori (+) group and 30 cases in H.pylori (-) group.30 healthy persons were regarded as control group.After recorded tongue picture,we detected the changes of morphological index of exfoliated cells of tongue coating:maturation index(MI), maturation value(MV) and chemical index: lactate dehydrogenase(LDH), acid phosphatase(ACP). Results: Tongue pictures of gastroenteropathy patients with H.pylori (+) were mostly red and deep red,including 14 red tongue(32.6%) and 11 deep red tongue(25.6%).Their tongue coating were mostly thick and greasy(62.8%), which had significant difference comparing with healthy group and H.pylori (-) group(P<0.01 or P<0.05).The quantity of middle-level cells of tongue coating smear in HP (+) group was higher than healthy group and H.pylori (-) group,MV decreased (P<0.01 or P<0.05).The content of ACP in exfoliated cells of tongue coating had no evident changes, however the content of LDH heightened obviously (P<0.01) . Conclusion: Red or deep red tongue and thick or greasy tongue coating could attempt to be regarded as a subsidiary index to diagnose H.pylori infection. MI, MV and LDH of tongue coating cells of patients infected with H.pylori had certain specificity,whicth could be determined to be a objective index of H.pylori infection.