RESEARCH - Treatment of RA with minocycline

[Guest guest]

The New England Journal of Medicine

June 17, 2004

Therapeutic Strategies for Rheumatoid Arthritis

R. O'Dell

Excerpt:

" Four double-blind, controlled trials have now shown that minocycline is

effective in treating rheumatoid arthritis.85,86,87,88 In patients with

long-standing disease, a small but statistically significant benefit was

observed.85,86 Minocycline that was used as initial therapy in patients who

tested positive for rheumatoid factor was superior to placebo (response

rate, 65 percent, as compared with 13 percent for placebo87) and superior to

hydroxychloroquine (60 percent vs. 33 percent88 ) when measuring ACR 50. The

mechanism by which minocycline works is incompletely understood but probably

involves immunomodulation,89 suppression of matrix metalloproteinases,90 and

suppression of nonspecific infections that would otherwise stimulate

inflammatory cytokine production.88 Reversible hyperpigmentation is seen in

up to 30 percent of patients who are receiving long-term minocycline

therapy. "

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/350/25/2591

Not an MD

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org