MRI detected mass decrease in patients with amyloidosis after treatment with green tea: a one year follow-up study

Background Amyloidosis (AM) is a disease complex that results from extra-cellular protein deposition of uniquely twisted and insoluble beta pleated sheet fibrils that can be found in several acquired or hereditary AM forms. Clinically apparent cardiac involvement can be seen in about 30% of patients resulting in a restrictive cardiomyopathy, which is the most common cause of death in these patients. Recently, there was compelling evidence that polyphenol epigallo-catechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a chemical component of regular green tea, induces aggregation products that do not polymerize into fibrils. Cardiac MRI is the reference standard for measurement of cardiac function, myocardial mass and cardiac remodeling but has not been used for longitudinal follow-up of AM patients treated with EGCG. We hypothesized that cardiac MRI is able to detect changes in cardiac function, myocardial mass and LV remodeling in AM patients being treated with EGCG for 12 months.