Discrete derivative: a data slicing algorithm for exploration of sharing biological networks between rheumatoid arthritis and coronary heart disease

Based on the large data sets of Western medicine literature (PubMed) and traditional Chinese medicine literature (SinoMed), by applying data slicing algorithm in text mining, we retrieved some simple and meaningful networks. The Chinese herbs used in treatment of both RA and CHD, might affect the commonly existed networks between RA and CHD. This might support the TCM concept of treating different diseases with the same therapy.First, the data mining results might show the positive answer that there are biological basis/networks commonly existed in both RA and CHD. Second, there are basic Chinese herbs used in the treatment of both RA and CHD. Third, these commonly existed networks might be affected by the basic Chinese herbs. Forth, discrete derivative, the data slicing algorithm is feasible in mining out useful data from literature of PubMed and SinoMed.Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), is one of China's splendid cultural heritages [1,2] with various intelligent theoretical thinking. One important concept in TCM is called "Treating Different Diseases with the Same Therapy" (TDDST), which can be explained as that different diseases might be shown with similar TCM patterns based on TCM diagnostic information (such as symptoms, pulse feelings and tongue appearance). Therefore, they could be treated with similar therapies in TCM. For example, in Western medicine, Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) are recognized as different diseases because they are different in etiology and pathology. However, in TCM pattern classification, they share similar TCM patterns during their development. RA and CHD, named as Impediment Pattern (Bi Zheng) and Palpitations/Angina Pectoris (Xin Ji/Xin Tong) respectively in TCM, could show similar TCM patterns in Qi deficiency and blood stasis based TCM pattern classification [2], thus the two diseases can be treated with similar therapy in this case (reinforcing the deficient Qi and dissolving the blood stasis), whic