Fulminant hepatitis during self-medication with hydroalcoholic extract of green tea.
Despite an ancient reputation for potential phytotherapeutic effects and innocuity, traditional herbal medicine has previously been implicated in severe adverse events. Exolise is an 80% ethanolic dry extract of green tea (Camellia sinensis) standardized at 25% catechins expressed as epigallocatechin gallate, containing 5-10% caffeine. It has been available in France, Belgium, Spain and the United Kingdom since 1999, as an adjuvant therapy for use in weight loss programmes. In various studies, green tea has to date been considered useful for its potential hepatic protective properties. In this study, we report a case of fulminant hepatitis during self-medication with Exolise, requiring liver transplantation.
Gloro
Romain
R
Service d'Hépatogastroentérologie et de Nutrition, CHU Côte de Nacre, Caen, France. gloro-r@chu-caen.fr
Hourmand-Ollivier
Isabelle
I
Mosquet
Brigitte
B
Mosquet
Laurent
L
Rousselot
Pierre
P
Salamé
Ephrem
E
Piquet
Marie-Astrid
MA
Dao
Thông
T
D028241:Camellia sinensis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017114:Liver Failure, Acute / Q000139:chemically induced*; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012651:Self Medication
D010936:Plant Extracts; C465546:green tea extract AR25