CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY
Tetracyclines are readily absorbed and are bound to plasma proteins in varying degree. They are concentrated by the liver in the bile, and excreted in the urine and feces at high concentrations and in a biologically active form.
Following a single 100 mg dose administered in a concentration of 0.4 mg/mL in a one-hour infusion, normal adult volunteers averaged a peak of 2.5 mcg/mL, while 200 mg of a concentration of 0.4 mg/mL administered over two hours averaged a peak of 3.6 mcg/mL.
Excretion of doxycycline by the kidney is about 40 percent/72 hours in individuals with normal function (creatinine clearance about 75 mL/min). This percentage of excretion may fall as low as 1 to 5 percent/72 hours in individuals with severe renal insufficiency (creatinine clearance below 10 mL/min). Studies have shown no significant difference in serum half-life of doxycycline (range 18 to 22 hours) in individuals with normal and severely impaired renal function.
Hemodialysis does not alter this serum half-life of doxycycline.
Microbiology
Mechanism Of Action
Doxycycline inhibits bacterial protein synthesis by binding to the 30S ribosomal subunit. Doxycycline has bacteriostatic activity against a broad range o f Gram-positive and Gramnegative bacteria. Cross resistance with other tetracyclines is common.
Doxycycline has been shown to be active against most isolates of the following bacteria, both in vitro and in clinical infections (see INDICATIONS AND USAGE).
Gram-Negative Bacteria
Acinetobacter species
Bartonella bacilliformis
Brucella species
Calymmatobacterium granulomatis
Campylobacter fetus
Enterobacter aerogenes
Escherichia coli
Francisella tularensis
Haemophilus ducreyi
Haemophilus influenzae
Klebsiella species
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Shigella species
Vibrio cholerae
Yersinia pestis
Gram-Positive Bacteria
Bacillus anthracis
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Anaerobes
Clostridium species
Fusobacterium fusiforme
Propionibacterium acnes
Other Bacteria
Actinomyces species
Borrelia recurrentis
Chlamydophila psittaci
Chlamydia trachomatis
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
Rickettsiae
Treponema pallidum
Treponema pertenue
Ureaplasma urealyticum
Parasites
Balantidium coli
Entamoeba species
Plasmodium falciparum*
*Doxycycline has been found to be active against the asexual erythrocytic forms of Plasmodium falciparum but not against the gametocytes of P. falciparum. The precise mechanism of action of the drug is not known.
Susceptibility Test Methods
When available, the clinical microbiology laboratory should provide the results of in vitro susceptibility test results for antimicrobial drugs used in resident hospitals to the physician as periodic reports that describe the susceptibility profile of nosocomial and communityacquired pathogens. These reports should aid the physician in selecting the most effective antimicrobial.
Dilution Techniques
Quantitative methods are used to determine antimicrobial minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs). These MICs provide estimates of the susceptibility of bacteria to antimicrobial compounds. The MICs should be determined using a standardized test method (broth and/or agar).1,2,4 The MIC values should be interpreted according to the criteria provided in Table 1.
Diffusion Techniques
Quantitative methods that require measurement of zone diameters can also provide reproducible estimates of the susceptibility of bacteria to antimicrobial compounds. Zone size provides an estimate of the susceptibility of bacteria to antimicrobial compounds. The zone size should be determined using a standard test method.1,3,4 This procedure uses paper disks impregnated with 30 mcg doxycycline to test the susceptibility of bacteria to doxycycline. The disk diffusion interpretive criteria are provided in Table 1.
Anaerobic Techniques
For anaerobic bacteria, the susceptibility to doxycycline can be determined by a standardized test method5. The MIC values obtained should be interpreted according to the criteria provided in Tablel.
Table 1: Susceptibility Test Interpretive Criteria for Doxycycline and Tetracycline
Bacteriaa | Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (mcg/mL) | Zone Diameter (mm) | Agar Dilution (mcg/mL) |
S | I | R | S | I | R | S | I | R |
Acinetobacter spp. |
Doxycycline | ≤4 | 8 | ≥16 | ≥13 | 10 to 12 | ≤9 | - | - | - |
Tetracycline | ≤4 | 8 | ≥16 | ≥15 | 12 to 14 | ≤11 | - | - | - |
Anaerobes |
Tetracycline | - | - | - | - | - | - | ≤4 | 8 | ≥16 |
Bacillus anthracisb |
Doxycycline | ≤1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Tetracycline | ≤1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Brucella speciesb |
Doxycycline | ≤1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Tetracycline | ≤1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Enterobacteriaceae |
Doxycycline | ≤4 | 8 | ≥16 | ≥14 | 11 to 13 | ≤10 | | | |
Tetracycline | ≤4 | 8 | ≥16 | ≥15 | 12 to 14 | ≤11 | | | |
Franciscella tularensisb |
Doxycycline | ≤4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Tetracycline | ≤4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Haemophilus influenzae |
Tetracycline | ≤2 | 4 | ≥8 | ≥29 | 26 to 28 | ≤25 | - | - | - |
Mycoplasma pneumoniaeb |
Tetracycline | - | - | - | - | - | - | ≤2 | - | - |
Neisseria gonorrhoeaec |
Tetracycline | - | - | - | ≥38 | 31 to 37 | ≤30 | ≤0.25 | 0.5 to 1 | ≥2 |
Nocardiae and other aerobic Actinomyces species |
Doxycycline | ≤1 | 2 to 4 | ≥8 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Streptococcus pneumoniae |
Tetracycline | ≤2 | 4 | ≥8 | ≥23 | 19 to 22 | ≤18 | - | - | - |
Vibrio cholerae |
Doxycycline | ≤4 | 8 | ≥16 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Tetracycline | ≤4 | 8 | ≥16 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Yersinia pestis |
Doxycycline | ≤4 | 8 | ≥16 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Tetracycline | ≤4 | 8 | ≥16 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Ureaplasma urealyticum |
Tetracycline | - | - | - | - | - | - | ≤1 | | ≥2 |
A report of Susceptible (S) indicates that antimicrobial is likely to inhibit growth of the pathogen if the antimicrobial compound reaches the concentrations at the infection site necessary to inhibit growth of the pathogen. A report of Intermediate (I) indicates that the result should be considered equivocal, and, if the bacteria is not fully susceptible to alternative, clinically feasible drugs, the test should be repeated. This category implies possible clinical applicability in body sites where the drug product is physiologically concentrated or in situations where high dosage of drug can be used. This category also provides a buffer zone that prevents small uncontrolled technical factors from causing major discrepancies interpretation. A report of Resistant (R) indicates that the pathogen is not likely to inhibit growth of the pathogen if the antimicrobial compound reaches the concentrations usually achievable at the infection site: other therapy should be selected.
Quality Control
Standardized susceptibility test procedures require the use of laboratory controls to monitor and ensure the accuracy and precision of supplies and reagents used in the assay, and the techniques of the individuals performing the test1,2,3,4,5,6,7. Standard doxycycline and tetracycline powders should provide the following range of MIC values noted in Table 2. For the diffusion technique using the 30 mcg doxycycline disk the criteria in Table 2 should be achieved.
Table 2: Acceptable Quality Control Ranges for Susceptibility Testing for Doxycycline and Tetracycline
QC Strain | Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (mcg/mL) | Zone Diameter (mm) | Agar Dilution (mcg/mL) |
Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212 |
Doxycycline | 2 to 8 | - | - |
Tetracycline | 8 to 32 | - | - |
Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 |
Doxycycline | 0.5 to 2 | 18 to 24 | - |
Tetracycline | 0.5 to 2 | 18 to 25 | - |
Haemophilus influenzae ATCC 49247 |
Tetracycline | 4 to 32 | 14 to 22 | - |
Neisseria gonorrhoeae ATCC 49226 |
Tetracycline | - | 30 to 42 | 0.25 to 1 |
Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 |
Doxycycline | - | 23 to 29 | - |
Tetracycline | - | 24 to 30 | - |
Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 |
Doxycycline | 0.12 to 0.5 | - | - |
Tetracycline | 0.12 to 1 | - | - |
Streptococcus pneumoniae ATCC 49619 |
Doxycycline | 0.015 to 0.12 | 25 to 34 | - |
Tetracycline | 0.06 to 0.5 | 27 to 31 | - |
Bacteroides fragilis ATCC 25285 |
Tetracycline | - | - | 0.125 to 0.5 |
Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron ATCC 29741 |
Tetracycline | - | - | 8 to 32 |
Mycoplasma pneumoniae ATCC 29342 |
Tetracycline | 0.06 to 0.5 | - | 0.06 to 0.5 |
Ureaplasma urealyticum ATCC 33175 |
Tetracycline | - | - | ≥ 8 |
REFERENCES
1. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). Performance Standards for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing; Twenty-third Informational Supplement. CLSI document M100-S23. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute, 950 West Valley Road, Suite 2500, Wayne, Pennsylvania 19087, USA, 2013.
2. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Methods for Dilution Antimicrobial Susceptibility Tests for Bacteria that Grow Aerobically; Approved Standard - 9th ed. CLSI document M07-A9, CLSI, Wayne, PA, 2012.
3. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Performance Standards for Antimicrobial Disk Susceptibility Tests ; Approved Standard -11th ed. CLSI document M02- A11, CLSI, Wayne, PA, 2012.
4. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Methods for Antimicrobial Dilution and Disk Susceptibility Testing of Infrequently Isolated or Fastidious Bacteria; Approved Guideline - Second Edition. CLSI document M45-A2. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute, Wayne, Pennsylvania, 2010.
5. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). Methods for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing o f Anaerobic Bacteria; Approved Standard - Eighth Edition. CLSI document M11-A8. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute, 950 West Valley Road, Suite 2500, Wayne, PA 19087 USA, 2012.
6. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Susceptibility Testing of Mycobacteria, Nocardiae, and Other Aerobic Actinomycetes; Approved Standard - Second Edition. CLSI document M24-A2. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute, Wayne, Pennsylvania, 2011.
7. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Methods for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing for Human Mycoplasmas; Approved Guideline. CLSI document M43-A. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute, Wayne, Pennsylvania, 2011.