Green tea consumption: an alternative approach to managing oral lichen planus.
Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a T-cell-mediated inflammatory autoimmune disease, whose pathogenesis includes both antigen-specific and non-specific mechanisms. Antigen-specific mechanisms in OLP consist of antigen presentation, lymphocyte activation, proliferation and migration as well as keratinocyte apoptosis mediated by CD8(+) cytotoxic T-cells, whereas non-specific mechanisms include mast cell degranulation and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activation in OLP lesions. Deficient antigen-specific transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)-mediated immunosuppression may also contribute to the pathogenesis of OLP. In addition, OLP is considered to be a potentially malignant disorder with a malignant transformation rate of 0-5.3%. Green tea, especially epigallocatechin-3-gallate, possesses anti-inflammatory and chemopreventive properties. It can inhibit antigen presentation, T-cell activation, proliferation and migration, keratinocyte apoptosis, nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-кB) activation and MMP-9 activity, as well as regulated on activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) expression, and can modulate the imbalance between TGF-β and interferon-γ signaling, all of which are involved in the pathogenesis of OLP. Thus, our hypothesis is that green tea consumption may decrease OLP incidence and provide a neoteric, nontoxic and inexpensive therapeutic strategy for OLP. Furthermore, green tea might be a possible agent for preventing malignancies in OLP.
The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) and Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
Jing
J
Zhang
Gang
G
Zhou
D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D002392:Catechin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017676:Lichen Planus, Oral / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D013662:Tea
D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents; D000941:Antigens; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D013662:Tea; D002392:Catechin; C045651:epigallocatechin gallate