关节

Green tea: a new option for the prevention or control of osteoarthritis

Abstract
IL-1β is a major cytokine driving the infl ammatory processes leading to the pathophysiology of osteoarthritis and other infl ammatory 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 ineff ective in osteoarthritis. In a recent study, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, a green tea polyphenol, was found to be eff ective in reducing IL-1β-induced infl ammatory cytokines, TNFα, IL-6, granulocyte– macrophage colony-stimulating factor and several chemokines from human chondrocytes. The use of green tea polyphenols may be benefi cial as a therapeutic addition to biologics that control IL-1β activity by increasing eff ectiveness and/or reducing dosage.