Deficiency of fluid and blood is the main clinical manifestation of middle- and advanced-stage patients with esophageal cancer, but there are few reports about the metabolomic characteristics of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients with TCM differentiation of deficiency of fluid and blood.

To investigate the metabolomic characteristics of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients with TCM differentiation of deficiency of fluid and blood.

From April to December 2022, 35 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients with TCM differentiation of deficiency of fluid and blood, were selected as the case group in the departments of TCM and Thoracic Surgery, the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, meanwhile 35 healthy volunteers were selected as the control group. Serum specimens were collected, and metabolomic characteristics was analyzed by ultra performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and then screened the differential metabolites metabolic pathways.

A total of 88 differential metabolites with substance secondary matching names were screened out; 5 key metabolic pathways with significant difference and 11 related differential metabolites were further screened out. The 5 key metabolic pathways were β-Alanine metabolism pathway, Sphingolipid metabolism pathway, Linoleic acid metabolism pathway, Glycine, serine and threonine metabolism pathway, and Arachidonic acid metabolism pathway. Of the 11 related differential metabolites, β-Alanine, Phosphatidylcholine, L-homoserine, and L-allothreonine were significantly down-regulated, whereas Carnosine, Linoleic acid, 9, 10-DHOME, Hydroxypyruvic acid, Arachidonic acid, Heparin B3, and Thromboxane B2 were significantly up-regulated.

There are metabolic pathways with significant difference and related differential metabolites in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients with TCM differentiation of deficiency of fluid and blood, which mainly involved in metabolic abnormality of energy, such as amino acids and fatty acids.

津血亏虚是中晚期食管癌患者的主要临床表现，但目前关于食管鳞状细胞癌津血亏虚证代谢组学特征的研究报道较少见。

探究食管鳞状细胞癌津血亏虚证患者的代谢组学特征。

选择2022年4—12月就诊于河北医科大学第四医院中医科、胸外科的食管鳞状细胞癌津血亏虚证患者35例作为病例组，招募同时期健康志愿者35例作为对照组。收集两组受试者血清标本，通过超高效液相色谱质谱技术分析其代谢组学特征，筛选差异代谢物及差异代谢通路。

筛选出具有物质二级匹配名称的差异代谢物88种，具有显著性差异的关键代谢通路5条（β-丙氨酸代谢通路，鞘脂代谢通路，亚油酸代谢通路，甘氨酸、丝氨酸、苏氨酸代谢通路，花生四烯酸代谢通路）及其代谢物11种（表达下调代谢物：β-丙氨酸，磷脂酰胆碱，L-高丝氨酸，L-别苏氨酸；表达升高代谢物：肌肽，亚油酸，9，10-二羟基八氢-1-氧杂-4-氮杂苯并环庚烯，羟基丙酮酸，花生四烯酸，肝素B3，血栓素B2）。

食管鳞状细胞癌津血亏虚证患者存在具有显著性差异的代谢通路及其代谢物，主要涉及氨基酸、脂肪酸等能量代谢异常。