Is There an Association Between Minocycline and Autoimmune Disease?

Minocycline, one of the most commonly prescribed antibiotics, is used as chronic therapy for acne vulgaris and acne rosacea. Roughly a decade ago, we began to see many reports of a lupus-like syndrome associated with chronic minocycline therapy and, occasionally, other tetracycline antibiotics. The prevalence of this condition is presumably low. A positive antinuclear antibody (ANA) and antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) are the most frequently observed serologic abnormalities.

Investigators assessed 252 patients seen in an acne clinic, 174 of whom (69%) had been exposed to minocycline at some point. The average duration of therapy was 5.8 years. Although ANA was found (at about a 12% rate) in both minocycline-exposed and nonexposed …