This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kourlas, H. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Anti-inflammatory Properties of Macrolide Antibiotics

A&M Schwartz College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences at Long Island University, Brooklyn, New York, V VA New York Harbor Healthcare, Pharmacy Department, New York, New York

The use of macrolide antibiotics for other clinical uses outside of their antimicrobial capabilities has been questioned and theorized in both in vitro and animal studies. Several small clinical trials have shown that erythromycin, clarithromycin, and azithromycin possess anti-inflammatory characteristics in patients with respiratory diseases. To determine whether macrolide antibiotics possess this unique characteristic, data from controlled trials involving human subjects were extracted and analyzed. Conclusions from trials suggest that select macrolide antibiotics possess anti-inflammatory properties in patients with respiratory diseases who do not show evidence of a bacterial infection.

Key Words: Macrolide • inflammation • erythromycin • clarithromycin • azithromycin • lung diseases.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?