Prospective open-label evaluation of long-term low-dose doxycycline for difficult-to-treat chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps

Background: This study aimed to assess clinical outcomes of long-term low-dose oral doxycycline therapy in difficult-to-treat chronic rhinosinusitis with polyps (CRSwNP). Methods: This was a prospective, open-label study of 60 patients with difficult-to-treat CRSwNP who had undergone endoscopic sinus surgery. Patients were divided into two groups: 28 received nasal steroids, saline irrigation, and doxycycline (200 mg on the first day, followed by 100 mg once daily) for 12 weeks, while 30 received only nasal steroids and saline irrigation. The main outcome measure was an adequate effect size of doxycycline treatment on clinically meaningful significant improvement of SNOT-20. Other outcome measures were the SNOT-20, NOSE, and Lund-Kennedy scores. The following parameters were also analyzed: asthma, rhinitis, non-steroidal-exacerbated respiratory disease (NERD), and baseline serum IgG, IgA, IgE, IgM, ANCA, and eosinophil count. Results:There was an adequate effect size of doxycycline treatment on clinically meaningful significant improvement of SNOT-20. Patients who received doxycycline also had significantly better outcomes regarding SNOT-20, NOSE, and Lund-Kennedy scores. There was a negative association among a clinically significant improvement of SNOT-20 and presence of asthma, NERD, and elevated serum IgE levels before treatment. Conclusion:These findings suggest that doxycycline may have a beneficial role for CRSwNP patients, especially for patients without asthma, NERD or high levels of serum IgE before treatment.