Identification of a predictive biomarker for the beneficial effect of a Kampo (Japanese traditional) medicine keishibukuryogan in rheumatoid arthritis patients.
OBJECTIVE
Kampo (Japanese traditional herbal) medicines are now ethically used in Japan as pharmaceutical grade prescription drugs. However, there are distinct groups of responders and non-responders to Kampo medicines. We searched for biomarker candidates to discriminate responders from non-responders to keishibukuryogan (KBG); one of the most frequently used Kampo medicines.


METHODS
A combination of SELDI technology and a decision tree analysis with proprietary developed bioinformatics tools was applied to 41 (32 for tree construction and 9 for validation test) plasma samples obtained from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. A candidate biomarker protein was identified using LC-MS/MS.


RESULTS
The constructed tree with measurable reliability contained only a single peak which was identified as haptoglobin alpha 1 chain (Hpalpha1).


CONCLUSIONS
Hpalpha1 is a biomarker candidate for discriminating responders from non-responders to KBG treatment for RA. The present results may open the way to the establishment of "evidence-based" complementary and alternative medicine.
Ogawa
Kazuo
K
Central Research Laboratories, Tsumura and Co., Ibaraki, Japan.
Kojima
Tetsuko
T
Matsumoto
Chinami
C
Kamegai
Satoshi
S
Oyama
Takuya
T
Shibagaki
Yukari
Y
Muramoto
Hiroshi
H
Kawasaki
Tetsuo
T
Fujinaga
Hiroshi
H
Takahashi
Kozo
K
Hikiami
Hiroaki
H
Goto
Hirozo
H
Kiga
Chizuru
C
Koizumi
Keiichi
K
Sakurai
Hiroaki
H
Shimada
Yutaka
Y
Yamamoto
Masahiro
M
Terasawa
Katsutoshi
K
Takeda
Shuichi
S
Saiki
Ikuo
I
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D020835:Medicine, Kampo; D008875:Middle Aged; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008517:Phytotherapy; D011379:Prognosis; D040081:Protein Array Analysis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D015415:Biomarkers; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C054593:keishibukuryogan