Anti-inflammatory Properties of Macrolide Antibiotics

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.