Identifying the Chinese Herbal Medicines used for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) with Kidney Deficiency and Blood Stasis: A Data Mining Analysis

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common heterogeneous disorder in women, marked by anovulation, hyperandrogenism and polycystic ovaries. The pathophysiology of PCOS remains unclear, but evidence suggests that PCOS might be linked to genetic and environmental influences. As pharmacological treatments engender adverse effects, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has emerged as the cornerstone of this research as it uses an approach that is based on syndrome differentiation. Objective: Using data mining, this study identified the most frequently used Chinese herbal medicines in the treatment of PCOS with the TCM syndrome of "Kidney deficiency and blood stasis". Materials and Methods: Publications reporting the use of Chinese herbal medicines for the treatment of PCOS with "Kidney deficiency and blood stasis" were identified from four databases and screened for inclusion. Eligible publications were analysed to identify the Chinese herbal medicines used, the frequency of prescription, and the strength of associations between medicines. The top fifteen most frequently used herbs were identified, and their medicinal effects recorded using the Pharmacopeia of the People's Republic of China (10th edition). Using the Apriori algorithm in SPSS Modeler, association rule analysis identified the strength of association between herbal medicines. Results: The most frequently used herbs in the treatment of PCOS with "Kidney deficiency and blood stasis" were Radix angelicae Sinensis (Dang Gui), Rehmanniae radix Praeparata (Shu Di Huang), Semen cuscuta Chinensis (Tu Si Zi), Fructus lycii (Gou Qi Zi), Ligusticum striatum (Chuan Xiong). The herbal pairings with the highest support levels were {Rehmanniae radix Praeparata (Shu Di Huang)}-{Semen cuscuta Chinensis (Tu Si Zi)}, {Radix angelicae Sinensis (Dang Gui)}-{Semen cuscuta Chinensis (Tu Si Zi)}, {Rehmanniae radix Praeparata (Shu Di Huang)}-{Radix angelicae Sinensis (Dang Gui)}, {Semen cuscuta Chinensis (Tu Si Zi)}-{Radix angelicae Sinensis (Dang Gui)} and {Ligusticum striatum (Chuan Xiong)}-{Radix angelicae Sinensis (Dang Gui)}. Conclusion: This study confirms alignment of reported clinical use of Chinese herbal medicines in the treatment of PCOS with the TCM syndrome "Kidney deficiency and blood stasis" with TCM theory. This study provides a starting point for systematic evaluation of identified herb pairings that can add to the evidence base on the use of Chinese herbal medicines in the treatment of PCOS.