title: Identification of a predictive biomarker for the beneficial effect of keishibukuryogan, a kampo (Japanese traditional) medicine, on patients with climacteric syndrome.
abstract: Keishibukuryogan (KBG; Guizhi-Fuling-Wan in Chinese) is one of the Kampo (Japanese traditional) medicines used to treat patients with climacteric syndrome. KBG can be used by patients who cannot undergo hormone replacement therapy due to a history of breast cancer. We evaluated whether cytosine-adenine (CA) repeat polymorphism of the estrogen receptor β gene can be a predictor of the beneficial effect of KBG on climacteric syndrome. We also investigated the relationship between CA repeat polymorphism, the patients' profiles, and the therapeutic effect. We found that CA was an SS, SL, or LL genotype according to the number of repeats. We studied 39 consecutive patients with climacteric disorders who took KBG for 12 weeks. The diagnosis of climacteric disorders was made on the basis of the Kupperman index. KBG significantly improved the patients' climacteric symptoms (i.e., vasomotor symptoms in the patients with the LL genotype and melancholia in the patients with the SL genotype). No relationship between the patients' profiles and CA repeat polymorphism was recognized. CA repeat polymorphism could thus be a potential biomarker to predict the efficacy of KBG in climacteric syndrome, and its use will help to reduce the cost of treating this syndrome by focusing the administration of KBG on those most likely to benefit from it.
authors.affiliation: Department of Japanese-Oriental (Kampo) Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670, Japan.
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Namiki
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670, Japan.
authors.forename: Yukari
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670, Japan.
authors.forename: Haruka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kakikura
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670, Japan ; Center for Preventive Medical Science, Chiba University, Chiba 260-0856, Japan.
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ueno
authors.affiliation: Chiba Chuo Medical Hospital, Chiba 264-0017, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chino
authors.affiliation: Department of Japanese-Oriental (Kampo) Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-7551-8694
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Japanese-Oriental (Kampo) Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670, Japan.
authors.forename: Akito
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hisanaga
authors.affiliation: Department of Japanese-Oriental (Kampo) Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670, Japan.
authors.forename: Akiyo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaneko
authors.affiliation: Department of Japanese-Oriental (Kampo) Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kita
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670, Japan.
authors.forename: Maki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kihara
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670, Japan.
authors.forename: Makio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shozu
authors.affiliation: Chiba Chuo Medical Hospital, Chiba 264-0017, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsutoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Terasawa