舌象是机体变化的重要窗口，是核心证素之一；揭示舌象的生物学基础，为中医临床辨证理论提供科学依据，具有重要的意义。在课题组前期研究发现系统生物学手段可揭示中医证候分类的物质基础的前提下，本课题提出 "舌象与机体状态密切联系，舌象变化有其相应的、特定的生物学基础，不同舌象可通过代谢组和转录组等系统生物学技术及生物信息网络分析技术来揭示其差异物质谱及其功能联系" 的假说。拟以慢乙肝患者舌红苔黄与舌淡苔白两种舌象为切入点，以血液和舌苔为样本，通过代谢组和转录组学两种组学技术和生物信息分析技术，获得潜在的差异标志物；通过扩大样本的验证和再分析以期明确差异标志物（谱）；同时进一步运用生物信息网络技术实现两种组学信息的沟通，揭示物质与功能的联系，揭示局部舌苔"外在"的物质基础与整体"内在"物质基础变化的联系。为中医舌诊及其辨证论治理论提供现代科学依据。

Tongue manifestation is an important appearance of our body changes, and it is also one of the core factors of TCM syndrome; therefore, revealing the biological basis of the tongue manifestation could provide a scientific evidence for the theory of TCM syndrome differentiation, which is full of importance. Our previous studies have proved the material basis of the classification of TCM syndrome differentiation can be found by systems biology methods. Thus, we propose the hypothesis that "there is a close relationship between the tongue manifestation and human body, the changes of tongue manifestation have relevant specific biological basis, and the tongue material differences and the association of its functions could be developed based on the systems biology technologies including metabonomics and transcriptomics, as well as the analysis technics of biomedical informatics grid". In this project, we will give research to chronic hepatitis B patients with red tongue with yellow coating and pale tongue with white coating, we will acquire their tongue coating and peripheral blood specimens, and get potential differences marker based on metabolomics and transcriptomics detection technologies and bioinformatics analysis techniques, then we will clear the differences in markers (spectrum) by expanding the sample verification and re-analysis. At the same time, we hope to realize the communication between the two "omic" informations through the further systems biology analysis to reveal the connection of the substance and its function, and to clarify the material foundation connection between the "outside" tongue coatings and "inherent" whole body, by which we hope to provide modern scientific basis of the tongue diagnosis and syndrome differentiation and treatment theory of TCM.