Do Antibiotics Diminish Innate Immunity by Attenuating Toll-Like Receptor Activity?

Antibiotic classes such as quinolones, tetracyclines, and macrolides diminish TLR2 and TLR4 activity, resulting in anti-inflammatory actions that may undermine bacterial clearance.

It has long been recognized that several antibiotic classes, including the macrolides and tetracyclines, have both immunomodulatory and antimicrobial activity. Noting that Toll-like receptors (TLRs; a family of proteins present on immune cells and central to the innate immune response), as well as antibiotics both interact with microbial pathogen-associated molecules, investigators have studied whether antibiotics might have an impact on TLR function.

Lagos et al. used human monocyte cell lines and derivative macrophages to study the effects of varying concentrations of amoxicillin, doxycycline, ciprofloxacin, and erythromycin on TLR-induced NF-κB activation as well as production of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). T…

Reviewing Author

George Sakoulas, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardParatek Pharmaceuticals; Nestle Corp.; AbbVie; Shionogi

Speaker’s BureauAllergan/AbbVie; Paratek Pharmaceuticals; Nestle Corp.

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Editorial BoardsAntimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy; Open Forum Infectious Diseases