Effects of green tea catechins on nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) patients

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a form of chronic progressive liver disease wherein patients appear to have a higher likelihood of progression to cirrhosis. The present study evaluates the effects of green tea catechin treatment on NASH patients. Thirty-eight NASH patients (22 male, 16 female, mean age: 50 ± 16 years, mean body mass index [BMI]; 29.9 ± 5.0 kg/m2, ±s.d.) with governed dietary and physical exercise participated in this case study. Subjects were treated using an alimentotherapy and an exercise therapy. Twenty six patients (13 male; 13 female) took 600 mg of green tea catechins per day for 6 months, while 12 patients were assigned to the control (placebo) group. Blood aliquots were checked at baseline and during 6 month trial for various physiochemical parameters estimation. An accumulation of visceral fat and subcutaneous fat were also measured along with the liver-to-spleen attenuation ratio using computed tomography (CT) at baseline and after 6 month trial. Green tea catechins consumption showed a significant decrease in BMI with lower serum lipid profiles and blood sugar levels. The alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) levels remained under the limits for most of the NASH patients of catechin treatment group, whereas an increase was systematically registered in for NASH patients in placebo group. Further, lowered high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) level as well as improved visceral fat to subcutaneous fat (V/S) area ratio and liver to spleen (L/S) ratios suggest that green tea catechins along with controlled diets and exercise therapy can improve anthropometric parameters and therefore help to prevent the progression of NASH through their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties by reducing oxidative stress in the NASH patients.