Thyroid-Associated Ophthalmopathy is an autoimmune disease that can be treated by corticosteroids and surgery. But they often cause severe side-effects and are usually used for treating moderate-sever and sight-threatening TAO. Wait and see will be the first choice for the patient with mild TAO.~Subantimicrobial dose (SD) doxycycline displays a strong anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory function, which is independent of its antibiotic properties. Data from clinical trials demonstrated that SD doxycycline was effective in moderating inflammation in a variety of autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, rosacea and periodontitis.~We propose to test the effect of subantimicrobial dose doxycycline for mild TAO.
The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of subantimicrobial dose doxycycline (50 mg/d), administered for 12 weeks, on patients with mild Thyroid-Associated Ophthalmopathy (TAO).