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The Risk of Liver Damage Associated with Minocycline: A Comparative Study
Author(s) -
Seaman Helen E.,
Lawrenson Ross A.,
Williams Tim J.,
MacRae Kenneth D.,
Farmer Richard D. T.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
the journal of clinical pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.92
H-Index - 116
eISSN - 1552-4604
pISSN - 0091-2700
DOI - 10.1177/00912700122010753
Subject(s) - minocycline , medicine , oxytetracycline , tetracycline , cohort , incidence (geometry) , odds ratio , relative risk , cohort study , antibiotics , gastroenterology , confidence interval , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , physics , optics
Using the General Practice Research Database, the authors performed (1) a cohort analysis comparing the incidence of liver dysfunction in new users of minocycline with new users of oxytetracycline/tetracycline and (2) a case control study assessing antibiotic exposure in new cases of liver dysfunction and controls without liver dysfunction. In new users, the incidence of liver dysfunction in those exposed to minocycline was 1.04 cases/10,000 exposed person months (EPM)and 0.69 cases/10,000 EPM in those exposed to oxytetracycline/tetracycline (relative risk 1.51 [CI 95 : 0.63, 3.65]). The risk in both groups was greatest in the first month of use. The adjusted odds ratio (OR adj ) of liver dysfunction associated with exposure to minocycline compared with nonuse was 2.10 (CI 95 : 1.30, 3.40); for oxytetracycline/tetracycline, the OR adj was 1.46 (CI 95 : 0.81, 2.64); and for exposure to erythromycin, the OR adj was 1.64 (CI 95 : 0.71, 3.80). The authors thus support a weak association between the use of oral antibiotics and liver dysfunction in patients with acne. The risk associated with exposure to minocycline appears to be very small. The cohort analysis demonstrated that any risk associated with minocycline was not significantly greater than that associated with oxytetracycline/tetracycline exposure.