Anti-inflammatory Effects of Macrolide Treatment in Influenza Lower Respiratory Tract Infections
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2016-04-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Influenza lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) is a major cause of morbidity and
mortality worldwide. While viral replication can be suppressed by antiviral treatment,
excessive inflammatory responses, which are increasingly recognized to contribute to severe
influenza complications, remain unopposed. Macrolides have been used widely to treat
community-acquired pneumonia, and shown to exert anti-inflammatory effects in other
respiratory diseases, providing clinical benefits. In this randomized, open-label,
multicenter study, we aim to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of macrolide treatment
in influenza LRTI. Its impacts on the cytokine response, viral clearance, symptoms and
disease resolution will be studied. Such results may lead to the development of new
therapeutic approaches against severe influenza infection, and provide better insights into
disease pathogenesis.