title: [Weighting coefficients of symptoms and signs in the diagnosis of corresponding TCM syndrome elements of ulcerative colitis based on expert questionnaire investigation].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To define the weighting coefficients of the symptoms and signs in the diagnosis of corresponding traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome elements of ulcerative colitis based on expert questionnaire investigation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The questionnaire included eight syndrome elements of location and 11 syndrome elements relating to disease characteristics. Experts who answered the questionnaire were titled as associate chief physician or above, and had been practicing as professionals in general practice of medicine of digestive system for a long time. They came from 15 third-grade class-A hospitals (6 provinces and Beijing) in China. The weighting coefficients of the symptoms and signs in the diagnosis of corresponding TCM syndrome elements of ulcerative colitis were identified preliminarily based on consent degree of the experts (mean value and variation coefficient).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 9, 6, 14, 5, 9, 8, 12 and 2 symptoms and signs corresponding to 8 TCM syndrome elements related to disease location and the ranges of weighting coefficients were listed as follows: liver, from 7.49 to 4.18; heart, from 6.90 to 5.51; spleen, from 7.96 to 5.55; lung, from 6.30 to 5.27; kidney, from 7.82 to 5.71; stomach, from 7.53 to 6.15; large intestine, from 8.40 to 6.70; bowel collaterals, from 8.49 to 6.41. Numbers of symptoms and signs corresponding to 11 TCM syndrome elements related to disease nature were 13, 8, 17, 18, 17, 18, 6, 11, 2, 10 and 11 and the ranges of weighting coefficients were listed as follows: qi deficiency, from 7.44 to 5.60; blood deficiency, from 7.90 to 5.59; yin deficiency, from 6.88 to 4.91; yang deficiency, from 7.54 to 5.57; dampness, from 7.91 to 4.96; excess heat (fire), from 7.13 to 5.69; excess cold, from 7.51 to 6.14; qi stagnation, from 7.38 to 5.88; qi sinking, from 7.65 to 7.43; blood stasis, from 7.60 to 5.79; fluid retention, from 7.08 to 4.46.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  On the basis of previous document research and clinical research in ulcerative colitis, the expert questionnaire can collect consensus opinions of experts. The weighting coefficients of the symptoms and signs in the diagnosis of corresponding TCM syndrome elements of ulcerative colitis are defined preliminarily. Thereby it will lay the foundation for establishing differentiation criteria of ulcerative colitis based on TCM syndrome elements.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostics of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Preclinical Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China.
authors.forename: Jia-jia
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Tian-fang
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiu-yan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Xiao-lin
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Qing-guo
authors.initials: QG
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D010820:Physicians; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016711:Yang Deficiency; D016710:Yin Deficiency