[Clinical pharmacological aspects of the proton pump inhibitor therapy: importance of pharmacogenetic differences in the clinical practice].

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are widely used for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease, as well as other acid-related disorders. Omeprazole, lansoprazole, pantoprazole, rabeprazole and esomeprazole effectively suppress gastric acid secretion by blocking the gastric acid pump, H+/K+ -adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase). Understanding the pharmacokinetic properties of PPIs and examining the pharmacogenetic differences may help clinicians to optimize PPI therapy and to perform individual treatment, especially in non-responder patients with GERD or ulcer or after failed eradication therapy.