Oral zinc sulphate therapy in acne vulgaris: a double-blind trial

The effect of zinc sulphate and placebo was compared in a double-blind trial in 56 patients suffering from acne vulgaris. Serum vitamin A levels were studied in all, before and at the end of therapy, 29 patients received zinc sulphate 600 mg daily and 27 patients received placebo. Patients on placebo showed no improvement. After 12 weeks of treatment with zinc sulphate, 17 patients (58%) showed significant improvement. There was a statistically significant decrease in the number of papules, infiltrates and cysts. In zinc-treated cases there was statistically significant increase in serum vitamin A levels, while no change was found in the placebo group.     

Comparison of oral treatment with zinc sulphate and placebo in acne vulgaris

In a double-blind study 91 patients with acne vulgaris were treated either with oral zinc sulphate (0.4 g daily) or with a placebo. Forty-eight patients received zince treatment and 43 patients placebo. Significantly better results were demonstrated in favour of zince after 12 weeks.     

Oral treatment of acne vulgaris and oil acne with tetracycline

In 51 patients with acne vulgaris and 34 patients suffering from occupational oil acne the clinical effect of orally administered tetracycline was evaluated before, during and after a 3-monthly treatment (total dose of antibiotic: 1st month, 28.5 g; 2nd and 3rd months, 15.0 g). Patients treated with placebo were used as controls. Investigations of the skin fluorescence under Wood's light were performed during the treatment period. In one half of the patients with acne vulgaris and oil acne oral treatment with tetracycline had a very good clinical effect. The purpose of this investigation was the comparison of the results of the treatment of acne vulgaris and occupational oil acne with tetracycline.     

A double-blind study of the effect of zinc and oxytetracycline in acne vulgaris

With a double-blind technique, the effects of oral zinc and tetracyclines were compared in 37 patients with moderate and severe acne. No difference in effect between the treatments was seen and no side-effects were noted in any group. After 12 weeks of treatment, the average decrease in the acne score was about 70% in both groups.     

Oral ibuprofen and tetracycline for the treatment of acne vulgaris

A prospective evaluation of the efficacy and safety of oral ibuprofen and tetracycline hydrochloride was conducted for 8 weeks in patients with moderately severe acne. Sixty-eight patients were randomly assigned in a double-blind fashion to one of four regimens: (1) one 600 mg ibuprofen tablet plus one 250 mg tetracycline capsule four times daily; (2) one 600 mg ibuprofen tablet plus one placebo capsule four times daily; (3) one 250 mg tetracycline capsule plus one placebo tablet four times daily; and (4) one placebo tablet and one placebo capsule four times daily. Sixty patients completed the 8-week study. The mean percent improvement in the groups treated with ibuprofen and tetracycline (56% ± 5 SE), ibuprofen alone (26% ±13 SE), or tetracycline alone (26% ± 9 SE) was statistically significant. However, only the combination of ibuprofen and tetracycline therapy had an effect statistically better than the placebo response (16% ± 11 SE). Adverse effects were transient and were similar in all four groups.     

Acne vulgaris: double-blind trial comparing tetracycline and clindamycin.

A double-blind prospective study was undertaken to compare low-dosage tetracycline hydrochloride and clindamycin hydrate hydrochloride in the treatment of patients with pustular acne. Clinical improvement was noted in 93.7% of those receiving tetracycline and in 92.8% of those receiving clindamycin. Of those patients who were receiving clindamycin, two patients developed diarrhea and one patient developed pseudomembranous colitis. We conclude, therefore, that clindamycin should not be used as a primary drug in the treatment of acne.     

Efficacy of minocycline compared with tetracycline in treatment of acne vulgaris

A double-blind evaluation of the efficacy and safety of minocycline hydrochloride and tetracycline hydrochloride was conducted and completed using 49 patients with Pillsbury grade 2 or grade 3 acne. For six months, half of the patients received minocycline and half received tetracycline. Although the differences between treatment groups were not statistically significant at any evaluation, more patients treated with minocycline reached and maintained a noninflammatory acne status in less time than did patients treated with tetracycline. After six weeks, twice as many patients in the group treated with minocycline had reached noninflammatory status. Side effects reported by 7 patients were equally distributed between treatment groups. No notable abnormalities were observed in the results of blood chemistry studies, hematologic tests, quantitative serum immunoglobulin determinations, or thyroid function tests in 20 of the patients examined.     

Multicenter randomized comparative double-blind controlled clinical trial of the safety and efficacy of zinc gluconate versus minocycline hydrochloride in the treatment of inflammatory acne vulgaris

BACKGROUND: In addition to tetracyclines, zinc may constitute an alternative treatment in inflammatory lesions of acne. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the place of zinc gluconate in relation to antibiotics in the treatment of acne vulgaris. METHODS: Zinc was compared to minocycline in a multicenter randomized double-blind trial. 332 patients received either 30 mg elemental zinc or 100 mg minocycline over 3 months. The primary endpoint was defined as the percentage of the clinical success rate on day 90 (i.e. more than 2/3 decrease in inflammatory lesions, i.e. papules and pustules). RESULTS: This clinical success rate was 31.2% for zinc and 63.4% for minocycline. Minocycline nevertheless showed a 9% superiority in action at 1 month and one of 17% at 3 months, with respect to the mean change in lesion count. Regarding safety, the majority of the adverse effects of zinc gluconate and of minocycline concerned the gastrointestinal system and were moderate (5 dropouts with zinc gluconate and 4 with minocycline). CONCLUSION: Minocycline and zinc gluconate are both effective in the treatment of inflammatory acne, but minocycline has a superior effect evaluated to be 17% in our study.     

A double-blind comparison of topical clindamycin and oral minocycline in the treatment of acne vulgaris

Sixty-six patients with moderate to severe facial acne vulgaris were entered in a 12-week double-blind study to compare the efficacy of topical clindamycin phosphate 1% twice daily and oral minocycline 50 mg twice daily. Both treatments gave significant overall improvements from baseline observations in acne grade and inflamed lesion counts, but not in noninflamed lesion counts. There were no significant differences between the two treatment groups in respect of acne grade, inflamed or non-inflamed lesion counts. Both treatment regimes were well tolerated. This study has shown that topical clindamycin twice daily is an effective alternative to oral minocycline 50 mg twice daily in the treatment of moderate to severe facial acne vulgaris.     

Topical clindamycin phosphate compared with oral tetracycline in the treatment of acne vulgaris

Sixty patients (aged 12–30 years) were enrolled in a 12-week, double-blind, randomized study to compare the efficacy of clindamycin phosphate 1% topical solution with oral tetracycline for the treatment of moderate acne. Forty-four patients (22 in each group) were evaluable. All patients experienced significant reductions in numbers of pustules, papules and inflamed nodules, and there were no significant differences between the two groups. Both treatment regimens were well tolerated, and no systemic side-effects were reported. Topical clindamycin phosphate 1% is considered a safe and effective alternative to oral tetracycline for the treatment of moderate acne vulgaris.     

Topical use of tetracycline in the treatment of acne: a double-blind study comparing topical and oral tetracycline therapy and placebo.

A group of 75 subjects with moderate or severe acne was divided by random selection into three treatment groups. One group was treated with a topically applied placebo liquid and with 500 mg of orally administered tetracycline hydrochloride daily; one group received orally administered lactose capsules and topically applied placebo liquid each day; and one group was treated with orally administered lactose capsules and with a topical preparation containing tetracycline hydrochloride and n-decylmethyl sulfoxide, an agent intended to enhance antibiotic penetration. At the conclusion of the 13-week study and at several points during the study, the conditions of the subjects receiving topically or orally administered tetracycline hydrochloride were significantly (P less than .05) more improved than the conditions of the subjects receiving lactose capsules and the topically applied placebo liquid. However, there was no significant difference between the effects of topically and orally administered tetracycline hydrochloride.     

Topical anhydrous aluminum chloride formulation in the treatment of acne vulgaris: a double-blind study

A randomized double-blind bilateral study of twenty-five patients with acne vulgaris showed that eight weeks' treatment with 6.25 percent aluminum chloride in anhydrous alcohol gave better results than alcohol alone (p = 0.1). Improvements were recorded with both 6.25 percent aluminum chloride in anhydrous alcohol and with placebo, but 6.25 percent aluminum chloride in anhydrous alcohol proved better after four weeks' treatment. The effect on acne of 6.25 percent aluminum chloride in anhydrous alcohol is probably due to the disinfectant and antiperspirant action of aluminum chloride whereas the effect of placebo can be assigned to the sebostatic action of alcohol. The result of this study confirms previous results of open uncontrolled studies.     

Clinical evaluation of roxithromycin: a double-blind, placebo-controlled and crossover trial in patients with acne vulgaris

We clinically evaluated roxithromycin (ROM) in a double blind, placebo-controlled, and crossover trial in patients with inflammatory acne. Patients with inflammatory acne who were attending our outpatient clinic for treatment and who had not received topical or systemic treatment for the previous month were enrolled in this study. Patients were randomly separated into two groups. Group I consisted of 26 patients. The patients received 2x150 mg/day ROM orally in the first period and 2x1 placebo tablets/day in the second period. Group II consisted of 20 patients. These patients received 2x1 placebo tablets/day in the first period and 2x150 mg/day ROM orally in the second period. The first period was the first four weeks, and then there was a washout period of two weeks (5th and 6th). The second period was the next four weeks (7th to 10th weeks) after the washout period. Median acne scores had clearly decreased in both groups at the end of the study. Differences of median acne scores were statistically significant in both groups between at baseline and at the end of the study (p<0.001). The results showed that ROM is a safe and effective alternative in the treatment of inflammatory acne with few side effects and good compliance.