Information on Minocin

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Does anyone have an thought on Minocin studies outlined bellow???

Minocycline-induced cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa.

Tehrani R, Nash-Goelitz A, E, Dahiya M, Eilers D.

Division of Allergy, Rheumatology, and Immunology, Loyola University Medical

Center, Maywood, Illinois, USA. rtehran@...

Abstract

Minocycline is a tetracycline derivative with multiple clinical uses including

the treatment of various infections, acne vulgaris, and rosacea. Numerous

adverse events have been reported ranging from minor complaints such as nausea,

to serious life-threatening toxicities such as acute renal failure,

hepatotoxicity, and systemic lupus erythematosus. We report the case of an

18-year-old female patient who developed minocycline-induced cutaneous

polyarteritis nodosa after taking minocycline for acne vulgaris. The vasculitis

resolved after discontinuation of the minocycline without need for

corticosteroids. This case is the eighth biopsy-confirmed case of

minocycline-induced polyarteritis nodosa. Although minocycline is an effective

medication with a wide variety of clinical uses, clinicians must be aware of its

potential side effects including autoimmune-related disorders such as

polyarteritis nodosa or systemic lupus erythematosus.

Why minocycline can cause systemic lupus - a hypothesis and suggestions for

therapeutic interventions based on it.

van Steensel MA.

Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Maastricht, Maastricht, The

Netherlands. mvst@...

Abstract

The tetracycline antibiotic minocycline is widely used in dermatology, but can

sometimes cause systemic lupus erythematodes, a serious autoimmune disorder. It

is not known how it does this. However, recent data suggest that minocycline can

protect cells from apoptosis by inhibition of caspase-dependent and independent

cell death pathways. Here, it is suggested that this ability of minocycline is

responsible for the induction of lupus. This idea is based on the recent insight

that incomplete or failed apoptosis of damaged cells, particularly

keratinocytes, may be responsible for the development of auto-immunity. The

protection against apoptosis as conferred by minocyclin may be incomplete, with

failed apoptosis and development of autoimmunity as a result. Experimental

confirmation of the theory may be obtained by in vitro experiments using

induction of apoptosis in cell types known to be affected by lupus. Next, mice

that are sensitive to apoptosis may be used for in vivo experiments. Novel

therapeutic approaches to drug-induced lupus may be based on induction of

apoptosis; DNA-damaging immunosuppressive agents appear particularly useful.

Such treatments can be tested in apoptosis-deficient mice that develop

autoimmune disease.

Minocycline is not effective in systemic sclerosis: results of an open-label

multicenter trial.

Mayes MD, O'Donnell D, Rothfield NF, Csuka ME.

University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.

Maureen.D.Mayes@...

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine if minocycline therapy improved skin thickness in early,

diffuse systemic sclerosis (SSc) by > or =30%, a level of improvement unlikely

to occur in the natural history of the disease as determined by recent

controlled trials. METHODS: Subjects with diffuse SSc of < or =5 years' duration

were treated with oral minocycline for 1 year. The primary outcome measure was

the modified Rodnan skin thickness score (MRSS). RESULTS: Of 36 subjects

initially enrolled, 31 returned for at least 1 followup visit and were included

in the analysis (modified intent-to-treat analysis). The group consisted of 23

women and 8 men, with a mean age of 51.7 years (range 26-82 years) and a mean

disease duration of 23.5 months (range 6-60 months). The mean MRSS at entry was

22.7 (range 12-43), and at the final visit it was 18.6 (range 2-48). There was

no statistically significant difference in the change in skin scores between the

minocycline-treated subjects and subjects previously reported in the

D-penicillamine (D-Pen) trial. In addition, when adjusted for disease duration,

a comparison of MRSS in the minocycline trial subjects (including all subjects

active at each time point) and the previously reported D-Pen trial subjects

showed no difference and no treatment effect. Fourteen subjects did not complete

all 12 months of treatment; 10 of them withdrew due to disease progression.

Disease duration was significantly shorter for the noncompleters than for the

completers (P < 0.03). CONCLUSION: The degree of change in the MRSS was similar

to that expected in the natural course of this disease. Based on these data,

minocycline is not an effective therapy for SSc.