Doxycycline and IL-8 modulation in a line of human alveolar epithelium: more evidence for the anti-inflammatory function of some antimicrobials

No abstract available. Article truncated at 150 words. Beta blockers for severe systolic dysfunction; antibiotics for peptic ulcer disease. These are just a few examples of the many unpredicted consequences of medication intervention. Rheumatology has known of the disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) capacity of second generation tetracyclines including doxycycline (1). This has actually led to investigations attempting to identify organisms possibly serving as substrates for inflammatory processes including rheumatoid arthritis and even atherosclerosis. Generally, this has been unsuccessful and the conclusion that doxycycline has intrinsic anti-inflammatory properties has become suspect (2,3). Experience with higher generation macrolides like azithromycin further lends credence to this concept of antibiotics as intrinsically anti-inflammatory (4). There is a body of data suggesting inhibition of cytokine expression by this drug. In diseases like cystic fibrosis where even very high intracellular concentrations of macrolide have no significant activity against pseudomonas species but the drug therapy does appear to modify disease course further supports this …