OBJECTIVE:This study screened serum tumor biomarkers by surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry(SELDI-TOF-MS) to establish a subset which could be used for the prediction of Qi deficiency syndrome and phlegm and blood stasis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer;and as diagnostic model of Chinese medicine.METHODS:Serum samples from 63 lung cancer patients with Qi deficiency syndrome and phlegm and blood stasis,and 28 lung cancer patients with non-Qi deficiency syndrome and phlegm and blood stasis were analyzed using SELDI-TOF-MS with a PBS II-C protein chip reader.Protein profiles were generated using immobilized metal affinity capture(IMAC3) protein chips.Differentially-expressed proteins were screened.Protein peak clustering and classification analyses were performed using Biomarker Wizard and Biomarker Pattern software packages,respectively.RESULTS:A total of 268 effective protein peaks were detected in the 1,000-10,000 Da molecular range for the 15 serum proteins screened(P