Treatment of Early Seropositive RA: a two-year, double-blind comparison of minocycline and hydroxychloroquine

The University of Nebraska's 2 year study of 60 RA patients yielded twice as many patients improving by 50 percent or better on the antibiotic as on the hydroxychloroquine. All patients were using prednisone. Patients taking minocycline required only one-quarter as much prednisone at the end of the trial and were more likely to have stopped using it altogether.

O'Dell JR, Blakely KW, Mallek JA, Eckhoff PJ, Leff RD, Wees SJ, Sems KM, Fernandez AM, Palmer WR, Klassen LW, Paulsen GA, Haire CE, Moore GF.
Arthritis Rheum 2001 Oct: 44(10): 2235-41