Objective To construct and optimize Chinese medicine syndrome and symptom items database of chronic gastritis based on literature reviewing combined with artificial marking. Methods Chinese medicine syndromes and symptoms of chronic gastritis were collected in guidelines and common view developed by related organizations

as well as internal medicine of Chinese medicine（ 中医内科学）. Symptom items related to chronic gastritis were reviewed in China National Knowledge Infrastructure

VIP Data

Wan Fang Data

Chinese Biological Medical Literature Database on disc

Chinese Traditional Medicine Database System and syndrome differentiation of syndrome element（ 证素辨证学）. Chinese medicine syndrome and symptom items database of chronic gastritis was constructed preliminarily. The items database was screened and optimized by storage method

selected method

group discussion method and qualitative expert marking and screening. Meanwhile

syndrome elements attribution of the Chinese medicine syndrome and symptom items was defined by group discussion method and qualitative expert marking. Results By reviewing

there were 27 syndrome types in total in preliminarily constructed Chinese medicine syndrome and symptom items database of chronic gastritis. After screening and optimizing

there were 14 syndrome types in total. There were365 symptoms in total in preliminarily constructed Chinese medicine syndrome and symptom items database of chronic gastritis. After screening and optimizing

there were 181 symptoms in total. There were 17 essential syndrome elements of Chinese medicine syndromes and symptoms of chronic gastritis

including 5 focus syndrome elements（ stomach

spleen

liver

large intestine and small intestine） and 12 disease character syndrome elements（ Qi deficiency

Yang deficiency

Yin deficiency

cold

exogenous wind

food retention

phlegm

fluid retention

dampness

heat

Qi stagnation and blood stasis）. Conclusion Chinese medicine syndrome and symptom items database of chronic gastritis was constructed and optimized by comprehensive literature search. It was adopted that storage method

selected method

group discussion method and qualitative expert marking. Chinese medicine syndrome and symptom items database of chronic gastritis formed

which included 181 symptom items and 14 syndrome items.