Objectives: Traditional antidepressant therapy is associated with an inadequate response and a low remission rate. Our aim was to synthesize published randomized controlled trials on the potential effects of minocycline in patients with depression.
Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for studies published. Randomized controlled trials published in English that evaluated the efficacy of minocycline in patients with depression were selected for inclusion. Changes from baseline in the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) or Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) were pooled to determine the antidepressant effect of minocycline compared with placebo. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool.
Results: Eight trials with 567 participants were eligible and included in the analysis. The meta-analysis did not reveal a statistically significant effect of minocycline on depression based on HDRS or MADRS scores.
Conclusions: According to the HDRS and MADRS scores, minocycline did not demonstrate effectiveness in reducing depressive symptoms.
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