title: Do the omeprazole family compounds exert a protective effect against influenza-like illness?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Infections by influenza viruses place a heavy burden on public health and economies worldwide. Although vaccines are the best weapons against influenza, antiviral drugs could offer an opportunity to alleviate the burden of influenza. Since omeprazole family compounds block the "proton pump", we hypothesized that they could interfere with the mechanism of fusion of the virus envelope and endosomal membrane, thereby hindering the M2 proton pump mechanism of influenza viruses.
  
  
  METHODS
  A matched case-control study was performed in 2010-2011 in Italy. Cases were subjects aged over 18 years with a diagnosis of Influenza-like Illness (ILI); 254 case-control pairs were recruited. A multivariable conditional logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between the prevention of ILI and the administration of omeprazole family compounds. The interaction between omeprazole family compounds and influenza vaccination was also examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After control for potential confounders, subjects treated with omeprazole family compounds displayed a lower risk of catching ILI (ORadj = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.15-0.52). The risk of ILI in unvaccinated non-OFC users was about six times than that in vaccinated OFC users.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although confirmation is necessary, these results suggest that omeprazole family compounds could be profitably used in the prevention of ILI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Genoa University, Genoa, Italy. gasparini@unige.it.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gasparini
authors.forename: Piero Luigi
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Casabona
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Trucchi
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boccalini
authors.forename: Maria Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Cristina
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Amicizia
authors.forename: Donatella
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Panatto
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009853:Omeprazole / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae / Q000502:physiology; D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012044:Regression Analysis
chemical_list: D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors; D009853:Omeprazole