| ObjectivesIn order to analyse the herbal administration experience and composition principle of herbal formulas for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) in ancient China, we systematically retrieve the medical records of ancient books of RA by means of the fifth edition CD of "Encyclopaedia Of Traditional Chinese Medicine". With the support of Traditional Chinese Medicine Inheritance Support System (TCMISS), we can do the data mining.MethodsThis paper aimed to investigate the medical records of ancient books of RA. Firstly, we used the Expert Consult Survey approach to determine the search terms. Subsequently, we searched the "Encyclopaedia Of Traditional Chinese Medicine" based on Full-text Retrieval. Secondly, based on the inclusion criteria, exclusion criteria and the RA diagnostic similarity score of ancient books which was established by Expert Consult Survey, we screened related literature in three-step and divided them into possible RA and probable RA. Finally, the inclusion of medical records were input into TCMISS, using principle analysis, revised mutual information, complex system entropy cluster and unsupervised hierarchical clustering, etc, to analyse the herbal administration experience and composition principle of RA in ancient China, while new prescriptions would be found on these basis.ResuItAccording to the results of the Expert Consult Survey, the agreement which was more than 50%would be regarded as the search terms. We got four relevant search terms:痹,厉节,历节,尪. There were 44486 in total related records in the "Encyclopaedia Of Traditional Chinese Medicine". After the first round of screening,2925 medical records were remained. Finally, after the second and third rounds of screening, records of the possible RA were 102, a total of 147 prescriptions, involving 204 kinds of medicines, while records of the probable RA were 64, a total of 124 prescriptions, involving 170 kinds of medicines. There were 17 kinds of commonly used herbs of the top 15 in both were:Danggui, Gancao, Fuling, Guizhi, Niuxi, Baizhu, Fangji, Fangfeng, Baishao, Yiyiren, Sangzhi, Chenpi, Qinjiao, Banxia, Chuanxiong, Shengjiang, Huangbai. There were 10 pairs (66.7%) were the same in the most common couplet medicines of the top 15 in both groups:Gancao and Danggui, Niuxi and Danggui, Danggui and Baishao, Gancao and Baishao, Chuangxiong and Danggui, Baizhu and Danggui, Danggui and Fangfeng, Gancao and Fuling, Gancao and Chenpi, Gancao and Fangfeng. When the relevant constraints was set to 8, the punishment degree was set to 2, in the medical records of possible RA, we could obtain 43 core combinations which contained 3 herbs and 9 core combinations which contained 4 herbs, couplet medicine coefficient> 0.02 was 120, couplet medicine coefficient> 0.025 was 45, potential combination was 20, new prescription was 10. In the medical records of probable RA, we could obtain 49 core combinations which contained 3 herbs,13 core combinations which contained 4 herbs and 1 core combinations which contained 5 herbs, couplet medicine coefficient> 0.02 was 153, couplet medicine coefficient> 0.025 was 67, potential combination was 28, new prescription was 14.ConclusionTo screen medical records of ancient books, we can match up with the modern medicine by clinical symptoms. We can only get possible or probable match owing to lack of laboratory diagnosis and imaging diagnosis in medical records of ancient books. TCMISS can be used easily for data administration and statistical analysis of the prescriptions and is a helpful tool for the research of traditional Chinese medicine. Data mining of the TCMISS can multi-angle analysis and excavate prescriptions objectively. Having the aid of TCMISS to do the data mining of the herbal administration experience and composition principle of Rheumatoid Arthritis in ancient in "Encyclopaedia Of Traditional Chinese Medicine", it can provide basic clinical theory, literature basis and evidence of evidence-based medicine for the RA Chinese Medicine treatment to improve the clinical efficacy. New prescriptions which are excavated form the TCMISS for clinical or foundation provides useful clues allow us further explore the curative effect and the function mechanism of the above findings through clinical and experimental researches. |
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