Glomerulonephritis therapy: is there a role for green tea?

Rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis is the most aggressive form of glomerulonephritis with the worst prognosis. The current unspecific immunosuppressive therapy with corticosteroids and cytotoxic agents is often complicated by severe side effects. Peng and colleagues studied the therapeutic potential of the green tea component (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) in a murine model of immune-mediated glomerulonephritis. Their results indicate that EGCG treatment ameliorates renal inflammation, tissue damage, and loss of renal function and might therefore represent a novel therapeutic approach for human glomerulonephritis.