Green Tea May Protect Against Autoimmune Diseases
 (HealthDayNews, 6/17/05)

Stephen Hsu of the School of Dentistry at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, and team, tested the ability of EGCG, a component of green tea, to prevent antigens from attacking salivary gland and skin cells. Their aim was to determine whether EGCG has the potential to prevent autoimmune responses of the type that occur in lupus where autoantigens attack the skin, or in Sjogren’s syndrome where they attack the salivary glands. Hsu’s team isolated 130 autoantigens, which they then exposed to EGCG. The scientists found that most of the antigens were inhibited from damaging the cells, suggesting that EGCG may modulate the presence of autoantigens and thereby block autoimmune responses.