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CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR

Inhibition of Autoantigen Expression by (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (the Major Constituent of Green Tea) in Normal Human Cells

Department of Oral Biology and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Dentistry, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia (S.H., D.P.D., H.Q., C.L., J.B., G.S.); Department of Oral Surgery, Kochi Medical School, Kochi, Japan (T.Y., T.O.); Dermatology Service, Eisenhower Army Medical Center, Fort Gordon, Georgia (D.S.W.); Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia (D.L.); and Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia (W.B.B., H.S.)

Autoimmune disorders, characterized by inflammation and apoptosis of target cells leading to tissue destruction, are mediated in part by autoantibodies against normal cellular components (autoantigens) that may be overexpressed. For example, antibodies against the autoantigens SS-A/Ro and SS-B/La are primary markers for systemic lupus erythematosus and Sjögren's syndrome. Recently, studies in animals demonstrated that green tea consumption may reduce the severity of some autoimmune disorders, but the mechanism is unclear. Herein, we sought to determine whether the most abundant green tea polyphenol, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), affects autoantigen expression in human cells. Cultures of pooled normal human primary epidermal keratinocytes and of an immortalized human salivary acinar cell line were incubated with 100 µM EGCG (a physiologically achievable level for topical application or oral administration) for various time periods and then analyzed by cDNA microarray analysis, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and Western blotting for expression of several major autoantigen candidates. EGCG inhibited the transcription and translation of major autoantigens, including SS-B/La, SS-A/Ro, coilin, DNA topoisomerase I, and -fodrin. These findings, taken together with green tea's anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic effects, suggest that green tea polyphenols could serve as an important component in novel approaches to combat autoimmune disorders in humans.

Address correspondence to: Dr. Stephen Hsu, Department of Oral Biology and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Dentistry, AD1443, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA 30912-1126. E-mail address: shsu{at}mail.mcg.edu