ABSTRACT
Antibiotic therapy in acne is a time-honored practice whose mechanism is only recently thoroughly understood. Initially, it was assumed that the reduction in Propionibacterium acnes was the sole mechanism of antibiotic efficacy in acne, but it is now understood that certain antibiotic drugs are also potent anti-inflammatory agents via nonantibiotic mechanisms. In addition, the induction of resistance has made antibiotic therapy problematic in many patients.
