Objective To study the relationship between traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome and serum level of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in patients with acute cerebral infarction (ACI).Methods 75 patients of ACI were divided into two groups by TCM｀ s syndrome differentiation: apolexy involving the channels (AIC) and apolexy involving the viscera (AIV).Serum level of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 was detected by ELISA di-antibody clipping technique (DACT) and was compared with that of 30 normal controls.Results Serum level of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in AIC group and AIV group were significantly different from control groups;and differences between AIC group and AIV group were statistically significant.Serum level of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in all syndromes of AIC group and AIV group were remarkably lower than control group.Among them,syndrome of Yin-deficiency of liver and kidney and sthenia liver-yang and syndrome of blood stasis due to Qi deficiency had lower serum level of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 than syndrome of empty and obstruction of channel.So did collapse syndrome and syndrome of mental disorder due to phlegm-fire to syndrome of wind-fire evil lucid orifices and block Yin syndrome.Conclusion There are to some extent correlation with TCMs Syndrome and serum level of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in patients with ACI. Serum level of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 might be microcosmic referent markers of the damage of Qi and Yin by TCM｀ s syndrome differentiation.