Tetracyclines are a group of antibiotics whose first representative was discovered over 70 years ago. Since then, they have been of great interest in dermatology. In addition to their antibacterial activity, they are able to inhibit metalloproteinases and exhibit anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic and antioxidant effects. The side effects have been thoroughly studied over the years, the most characteristic and important ones in daily dermatological practice being: phototoxicity, hyperpigmentation, onycholysis, photoonycholysis, induced lupus erythematosus, and idiopathic intracranial hypertension. In this article, we summarize the use of tetracyclines in infectious diseases and inflammatory dermatoses, and further discuss the instances where the efficacy and safety of tetracyclines have been highlighted over the past few years.
Keywords: doxycycline; limecycline; minocycline; non-antibiotic properties; pleiotrophy; tetracyclines.