Editorial
Green tea: a new option for the prevention or control of osteoarthritis
1 Department of Dermatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
2 Birmingham VA Medical Center, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
3 Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
Arthritis Research & Therapy 2011, 13:121 doi:10.1186/ar3428
Published: 10 August 2011Abstract
IL-1β is a major cytokine driving the inflammatory processes leading to the pathophysiology of osteoarthritis and other inflammatory diseases. Blockade of IL-1β activity using substances such as the naturally occurring IL-1 receptor antagonist or anti-IL-1β monoclonal antibody are currently being used or tested as therapy. However, such treatments are ineffective in osteoarthritis. In a recent study, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, a green tea polyphenol, was found to be effective in reducing IL-1β-induced inflammatory cytokines, TNFα, IL-6, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and several chemokines from human chondrocytes. The use of green tea polyphenols may be beneficial as a therapeutic addition to biologics that control IL-1β activity by increasing effectiveness and/or reducing dosage.
