title: Herbal compatibility of traditional Chinese medical formulas for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Because herbal compatibility is one of the most important reasons why Traditional Chinese Medcine (TCM) formulas are effective for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), our study aimed to determine the compatibility of herbs based on published AIDS clinical research in Chinese periodicals. To achieve this aim, we designed a new data-mining algorithm according to TCM data characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  We found 25 clinical AIDS studies, all using Chinese herbs for treatment, in the Traditional Chinese Medicine Database System, and information on diagnosis and treatment was extracted. To find out herbal compatibility, especially the formulae for herbal combinations, we proposed an improved association rule algorithm based on the frequency of combinations. In this algorithm, all the compatibility relationships were displayed in a tree structure, by which the relationship between formulas and their derivation could be clearly inferred.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data analysis showed that approximately 100 herbs have been used for treating AIDS. Based on the whole herb compatibility tree, we calculated a basic formula for AIDS: Huang Qi combined with Ren Shen, Fu Ling, Bai Zhu, Bai Zhu, Dang Gui, and Bai Shao. This formula, deriving from most of clinical prescriptions, and was chosed by most of clinicians for AIDS treatment. From data mining we found that Qi replenishment and detoxification were the main treatment principles, which coincided with the AIDS pathological mechanism in which immune function is destroyed by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data-mining results suggest that the core TCM treatment of AIDS is replenishing Qi and detoxification, by which AIDS patients' immune system may be enhanced. Compatibility of Huang Qi with some frequently-used herbs have shown real efficacy in clinical practice, which warrants pharmacological research in the future.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Information on Traditional Chinesuiue Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, No. 16, Dongzhimennei Nanxiaojie St. DoCheng District, Beijing 100700, China.
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Jinghua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Haiyan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chunxin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D041743:Herb-Drug Interactions; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal