Objective  To analyze the correlations among serological indexesheme oxygenase-1(HO-1), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C reactive protein (CRP), differentiated syndrome of traditional Chinese medicine and severity of illness in ulcerative colitis (UC).

  Methods  A total of 26 patients diagnosed as UC were divided into experimental group, and 26 healthy subjects from the Physical Examination Center during the same period were included in control group. The plasma samples of the two groups were collected. Based on grading criteria of the modified Mayo Scale score and colonoscopy results score, the UC patients were classified into mild, moderate, and severe cases. According syndrome differentiation and clinical practice, they were differentiated as syndrome of dampness-heat in large intestine and deficiency of spleen and kidney syndrome. Elbow venous blood was extracted in a fasted state, and HO-1 level was tested with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). CRP and ESR were recorded on admission. The expression of HO-1 in the serum of UC subjects and healthy subjects were compared. The relationships among the severity classification, the syndrome of TCM and blood indexes such as HO-1, CRP, and ESR were explored.

  Results  The expression levels of HO-1 in the serum of UC subjects were higher than that of the healthy subjects(P < 0.01). Compared with the mild patients by grading of colonoscopic and modified Mayo scale scores, the levels of HO-1, CRP, and ESR in the plasma of the moderate and severe patients were significantly higher, and severe cases had higher indexes than the moderate ones (P < 0.05). HO-1, CRP and ESR levels in the plasma of syndrome of dampness-heat in large intestine were significantly higher than those of patients with deficiency of spleen and kidney syndrome (P < 0.05).

  Conclusion  The levels of HO-1, CRP and ESR in plasma are correlated with the severity of UC. The plasma indexes, modified Mayo Scale score and colonoscopic scores can not only be utilized as reference standard to measure the severity of UC, but also as foundation of judge the deficiency and excess of the disease and TCM syndrome differentiation of UC. However, HO-1 plasma level is not sensitive in mild UC subjects, so it may not be helpful in screening the UC patients in the initial stage.