The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics 2007 , Vol 49 , Num 3
Doxycycline in autoimmune central nervous system disorders in children: an in vitro study
1Units of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
2Dr. Sami Ulus Children’s Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
3Dışkapı Training Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
Anlar B, Şenbil N, Güven A. Doxycycline in autoimmune central nervous system disorders in children: an in vitro study. Turk J Pediatr 2007; 49: 274-277.

Tetracyclines have antiinflammatory properties. To test the in vitro effect of doxycycline in autoimmune neurological disorders of childhood, peripheral blood lymphocytes from multiple sclerosis (n=11), acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (n=12), and control patients (epilepsy and headache, n=12), all aged 5-17, were examined for proliferation, migration, and apoptosis after culture with doxycycline, concanavalin A and myelin basic protein for 48 hours. Doxycycline increased proliferation in the control group, and less in the multiple sclerosis group but not in the acute disseminated encephalomyelitis group (p<0.03). It increased apoptosis in multiple sclerosis patients (p<0.02). According to this preliminary study, doxycycline might have immunomodulatory effects in children, justifying future studies with larger and more homogeneous patient groups. Keywords : tetracyclines, doxycycline, lymphocyte, multiple sclerosis, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, autoimmune

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