ArticleFrontiers in microbiology2025
Cross-population tongue image features and tongue coating microbiome changes in the evolution of colorectal cancer.
Article in Frontiers in microbiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed.
- Exploring traditional Chinese medicine tongue diagnosis in potential cancer identification: A scoping review.Integrative medicine research · 2026Review
- Toward dynamic tongue diagnosis: a conceptual framework for temporal phenotyping.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- A cross-modal feature fusion model integrating tongue image phenotypes and accessible endocrine profiles for the screening of polycystic ovary syndrome.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Integration of tongue image features and tongue coating microbiome for differentiating dampness patterns in MASLD.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2026Article
- Objective pulse wave amplitude as a potential systemic correlate in childhood myopia: a digital TCM-based study.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- The association between tongue features and tongue coating microbiota and gastrointestinal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of oral microbiology · 2026Review
- Characteristics of tongue images and tongue coating bacteria in patients with colorectal cancer.BMC microbiology · 2025Article
- Temporal changes in tongue color during immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer: a prospective observational study using digital tongue diagnosis.Oncology reviews · 2025Article
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8 authors.
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Abstract
Introduction: Tongue diagnosis, a cornerstone of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), relies significantly on the assessment of tongue coating, which is used to evaluate Zang-fu organ functions, qi and blood dynamics, and the influence of pathogenic factors. This diagnostic method is integral to disease diagnosis and treatment in TCM. Recent research suggests a strong correlation between the characteristics of tongue coating and its microbial composition. These microbial variations may influence the formation and changes in tongue coating and are potentially linked to the progression of specific diseases. However, comprehensive research on the association between tongue coating, its microorganisms, and colorectal cancer (CRC) is limited. Notably, the quantitative aspects of tongue diagnosis and the microbial diversity in tongue coatings across different stages of colorectal cancer (from healthy individuals to colorectal adenoma (CRA) and CRC patients) are yet to be fully elucidated. By studying the cross-population characteristics of tongue image and tongue coating microorganisms during the evolution of colorectal cancer, the differences of tongue image characteristics and tongue coating microorganisms among different populations were further evaluated, providing references for early screening, diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer. Methods: The tongue image features of the subjects were collected by DS01-B tongue surface information collection system, mainly including tongue quality and tongue coating, and the tongue image was quantitatively analyzed by color space Lab value. The microbial characteristics of tongue coating were detected by high-throughput sequencing (16SrRNA amplicon sequencing). All subjects came from the patients in the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University and recruited volunteers (divided into health group, CRA group and CRC group), and obtained the ethical approval of the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University (ethical batch number: 2021ZSLYEC-328). Results: A total of 377 subjects were recruited in this study, including 56 healthy subjects, 65 colorectal adenomas and 256 colorectal cancer patients. The results showed that: in terms of texture of fur, the "thick fur" was a significant statistical difference ( Conclusion: This study revealed the specific cross-population tongue image characteristics and the specificity of tongue coating microorganisms in the evolution of CRC, providing new research ideas for early screening, early diagnosis, mechanism exploration, prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer.
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