Minocycline-Induced Hyperpigmentation in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Minocycline-Induced Gum Pigmentation during Treatment for Acne Vulgaris

Minocycline, a type of tetracycline, is a broad-spectrum antibiotic that is commonly prescribed in dermatology for the treatment of acne vulgaris. Common side effects of minocycline include nausea, vertigo, and dizziness while less common side effects include hyperpigmentation. In this case study, we found an 18-year-old female who presented with dark blue pigmentation in her upper gum after using minocycline on and off for 4 years. After discontinuation of the minocycline for 2 years, the pigmentation decreased gradually.

Minocycline, focus on mechanisms of resistance, antibacterial activity, and clinical effectiveness: Back to the future

OBJECTIVES

The increasing crisis regarding multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant microorganisms leads to appealing therapeutic options.

METHODS

During the last 30 years, minocycline, a wide-spectrum antimicrobial agent, has been effective against MDR Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial infections. As with other tetracyclines, the mechanism of action of minocycline involves attaching to the bacterial 30S ribosomal subunit and preventing protein synthesis.

RESULTS

This antimicrobial agent has been approved for the treatment of acne vulgaris, some sexually transmitted diseases and rheumatoid arthritis. Although many reports have been published, there remains limited information regarding the prevalence, mechanism of resistance and clinical effectiveness of minocycline.

CONCLUSION

Thus, we summarize here the currently available data concerning pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, mechanism of action and resistance, antibacterial activity and clinical effectiveness of minocycline.

Severe Type of Minocycline-Induced Hyperpigmentation Mimicking Peripheral Arterial Occlusive Disease in a Bullous Pemphigoid Patient

Minocycline is a tetracycline group antibiotic that is known to cause significant antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects. Minocycline has been widely used to treat systemic infection, acne, dermatitis, and rosacea. However, various dose-related side effects of hyperpigmentation in whole body tissues have been reported. Three main types of minocycline-induced hyperpigmentation have been identified. In rare severe hyperpigmentation cases, drug-induced hyperpigmentation can mimic local cellulitis or peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD). These processes require different therapeutic strategies. Therefore, early diagnosis is extremely important for physicians to determine the etiology of the hyperpigmentation, and subsequently discontinue the minocycline if indicated. We describe a rare case presenting a severe form of type III minocycline-induced hyperpigmentation mimicking peripheral arterial occlusive disease in a bullous pemphigoid patient.

A Severe Case of Minocycline-induced Hyperpigmentation of the Lower Extremities

Drug reactions are a common cause of cutaneous eruptions. The authors present a case of shin hyperpigmentation resulting from long-term minocycline treatment. This case illustrates a severe example of minocycline-induced pigmentation and reminds clinicians who prescribe this commonly used antibiotic to remain vigilant of this rare adverse reaction.

Minocycline: Rheumatoid Arthritis

This Hospital Pharmacy feature is extracted from Off-Label Drug Facts, a publication available from Wolters Kluwer Health. Off-Label Drug Facts is a practitioner-oriented resource for information about specific drug uses that are unapproved by the US Food and Drug Administration. This new guide to the literature enables the health care professional or clinician to quickly identify published studies on off-label uses and determine if a specific use is rational in a patient care scenario. References direct the reader to the full literature for more comprehensive information before patient care decisions are made. Direct questions or comments regarding Off-Label Drug Uses to jgeneral@ku.edu.

Minocycline-Induced Cutaneous Hyperpigmentation in an Orthopedic Patient Population

Background. The objectives of this study were to estimate the incidence and evaluate risk factors for development of minocycline-induced cutaneous hyperpigmentation in patients with orthopedic infections.

Methods. Patients with orthopedic infections evaluated at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN) and treated with minocycline from 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2011 were retrospectively identified. Long-term minocycline suppression was defined as daily minocycline use for at least 3 months. A proportional hazards model was used to evaluate potential risk factors.

Results. Of 291 patients receiving long-term minocycline suppression, 54% (156 of 291) developed hyperpigmentation after a mean follow-up of 4.8 years (range, 0.3–13.2 years); 88% involved blue-gray pigmentation of normal skin that appeared most commonly in the lower (75%) and upper extremities (44%). The mean duration of minocycline therapy before hyperpigmentation was 1.5 years (range, 0.1–9 years) with a mean cumulative dosage of 107.3 g (range, 8.6–657 g). Notable risk factors include a history of vitamin D deficiency (relative risk [RR], 6.29; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.91–15.27; P = .0052), presence of a shoulder prosthesis (RR, 3.2; 95% CI, 1.23–6.56; P = .0062), noncirrhotic liver pathology (RR, 3.63; 95% CI, 1.11–8.75; P = .0359), and use of a concurrent medication also known to cause hyperpigmentation (RR, 4.75; 95% CI, 1.83–10.1; P = .0029).

Conclusions. Hyperpigmentation associated with the use of long-term minocycline suppression in patients with orthopedic infections is common.

Minocycline for acne vulgaris: efficacy and safety

BACKGROUND

Minocycline is an oral antibiotic used for acne vulgaris. Its use has lessened due to safety concerns (including potentially irreversible pigmentation), a relatively high cost, and no evidence of any greater benefit than other acne treatments. A modified-release version of minocycline is being promoted as having fewer side-effects.

OBJECTIVES

To assess new evidence on the effects of minocycline for acne vulgaris.

SEARCH METHODS

Searches were updated in the following databases to November 2011: the Cochrane Skin Group Specialised Register, CENTRAL in The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE (from 1946), EMBASE (from 1974), and LILACS (from 1982). We also searched trials registers and checked reference lists for further references to relevant randomised controlled trials (RCTs).The Cochrane Skin Group's Trials Search Co-ordinator undertook searches exploring minocycline's adverse effects in EMBASE and MEDLINE in February 2012.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We selected randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing minocycline, at any dose, to an active or a placebo control, in participants with inflammatory acne vulgaris. For adverse effects, we selected additional studies that reported the number of adverse effects and the number of participants treated.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Outcome measures used in the trials included lesion counts, acne grades/severity scores, doctors' and participants' global assessments, adverse effects, and dropout rates. Two authors independently assessed the quality of each study. Effect sizes were calculated, and meta-analyses were undertaken where possible.Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria for the review of adverse effects.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 12 new RCTs for this update, giving a total of 39 RCTs (6013 participants). These additional 12 RCTs have not changed the original conclusions about the clinical efficacy of minocycline.The identified RCTs were generally small and poor quality. Meta-analysis was rarely possible because of the lack of data and different outcome measures and trial durations. Although minocycline was shown to be an effective treatment for moderate to moderately-severe acne vulgaris, there was no evidence that it is better than any of the other commonly-used acne treatments. One company-sponsored RCT found minocycline to be less effective than combination treatment with topical erythromycin and zinc. No trials have been conducted using minocycline in those participants whose acne is resistant to other therapies. Also, there is no evidence to guide what dose should be used.The adverse effects studies must be interpreted with caution. The evidence suggests that minocycline is associated with more severe adverse effects than doxycycline. Minocycline, but not other tetracyclines, is associated with lupus erythematosus, but the risk is small: 8.8 cases per 100,000 person-years. The risk of autoimmune reactions increases with duration of use. The evidence does not support the conclusion that the more expensive extended-release preparation is safer than standard minocycline preparations.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Minocycline is an effective treatment for moderate to moderately-severe inflammatory acne vulgaris, but there is still no evidence that it is superior to other commonly-used therapies. This review found no reliable evidence to justify the reinstatement of its first-line use, even though the price-differential is less than it was 10 years ago. Concerns remain about its safety compared to other tetracyclines.

Minocycline and doxycycline therapy in community patients with rheumatoid arthritis: prescribing patterns, patient-level determinants of use, and patient-reported side effects

INTRODUCTION

Minocycline and doxycycline are safe and moderately effective disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in the treatment of early, DMARD-naïve rheumatoid arthritis (RA), although little is known about their use outside clinical trials. We characterize the use of minocycline and doxycycline in community-dwelling RA patients by examining associated prescribing patterns, patient-level determinants of use, and side-effect profiles.

METHODS

We studied 15,716 patients with RA observed between 1998 and 2009 while participating in a long-term US observational study.

RESULTS

Minocycline or doxycycline was prescribed by 18% of rheumatologists (interquartile range one to two patients per physician) to 9% of RA patients. Significant differences between minocycline-treated and doxycycline-treated patients and nontreated patients included age (58.4 years vs. 59.8 years), RA duration (14.8 years vs. 13.7 years), Caucasian race (93.7% vs. 89.7%), lifetime DMARDs and biologics (3.3 vs. 2.5), prednisone use (40.1% vs. 35.3%), and Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form Survey physical component summary score (35.0 vs. 36.4). In multivariable Cox regression, patients initiating minocycline or doxycycline had increased disease activity, more comorbidities, and a greater number of prior nonbiologic DMARDs. Side effects were reported by 17.8% of minocycline users and 11.8% of doxycycline users. Skin complaints accounted for 54% of minocycline patient-reported side effects. The most commonly effected organ systems for doxycycline were gastrointestinal (35.4%) and skin (33.7%). Approximately 75% of side effects were of mild or moderate severity.

CONCLUSIONS

Rheumatologists have not embraced minocycline or doxycycline as primary treatment options for RA and reserve their use primarily in patients with long-standing, refractory disease. These drugs are generally well tolerated, with skin complaints, nausea, and dizziness being the most common patient-reported side effects.

Tetracycline-mediated IgE isotype-specific suppression of ongoing human and murine IgE responses in vivo and murine memory IgE responses induced in vitro

We previously reported that minocycline treatment of allergic asthmatic patients had oral steroid sparing effects and improved their clinical status and that minocycline suppressed in vitro induction of IgE responses by their PBMC. The effect of minocycline on human or animal IgE responses in vivo has not been studied. Allergic asthmatics (serum IgE: 505 +/- 535 IU ml(-1)) were given minocycline (150 mg po to 250 mg po BID) as add-on therapy to standard care for up to 10 months; control subjects (IgE: 405 +/- 472 IU ml(-1)) received standard care (n = 6 per group). Serum immunoglobulin (IgM, IgG, IgE and IgA) levels were determined monthly (Nephelometry, Unicap Total IgE Fluoroenzyme immunoassay). BALB/c mice (n = 6 per group) were injected intraperitoneally with benzylpenicilloyl(14)-Keyhole limpet hemocyanin (BPO(14)-KLH) in alum on days 0, 21 and 42, fed with minocycline or doxycycline (10-100 mg kg(-1)) on day 44 and numbers of BPO-specific IgG(1), IgE and IgA antibody-forming cell (AFC) in mesenteric LN and spleen and serum immunoglobulin levels were determined on days 46-70 (enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot assay, ELISA). The ability of minocycline or doxycycline to suppress in vitro induction of murine memory IgE responses also was investigated. Minocycline strongly suppressed serum IgE levels of allergic asthmatics (9% per month) (P = 0.012). Minocycline (and doxycycline) also strongly suppressed peak murine IgE AFC and serum IgE responses (>95, approximately 75%, respectively) and in vitro induction of memory IgE responses by murine mesenteric LN and spleen cells (>95%). Tetracycline suppression of all human and murine IgE responses was IgE isotype specific. Suppression of murine IgE responses in vivo was dose dependent and lasted 5-7 days.