108株幽门螺杆菌（Hp）菌株的耐药分析及其对Hp根除的影响

目的：了解北京地区幽门螺杆菌（Hp）的临床耐药情况以及耐药菌株对Hp根除治疗的影响。方法：对108例Hp阳性患者的临床分离株,采用E-test方法测定幽门螺杆菌对甲硝唑、克拉霉素和阿莫西林的敏感性;并用7d三联疗法或3d四联疗法分别对其中41位十二指肠溃疡患者予幽门螺杆菌根除治疗。结果：108株幽门螺杆菌菌株中,对甲硝唑耐药率为37.0%,对克拉霉素耐药率为13.0%,对其中18株幽门螺杆菌菌株进行了阿莫西林的药物敏感试验,发现1例耐药,7d疗法和3d疗法对幽门螺杆菌敏感株的根除率分别为91.7%及80.0%,耐药株的根除率分别为40.0%及25.0%。结论：幽门螺杆菌对甲硝唑、克拉霉素和阿莫西林均有耐药出现,其中以甲硝唑耐药率最高,克拉霉素的耐药率也呈增高趋势,耐药菌株的出现是导致幽门螺杆菌根除治疗失败的主要原因之一。     

幽门螺杆菌对6种抗生素的耐药性研究

目的：探讨幽门螺杆菌（helicobacterpylori,Hp）对甲硝唑、替硝唑、四环素、克拉霉素、阿莫西林及利福平等6种抗生素的耐药性。方法：本文通过药敏试验分析Hp对所选的常用抗生素的耐药情况,为临床治疗由Hp感染引起的胃炎、胃溃疡等疾病的合理用药提供证据。结果：本文106例患者中共检验出Hp阳性数为86例,阳性率为81.13%。Hp对各种抗生素的耐药率由高到低依次为甲硝唑（45.35%）、克拉霉素（25.58%）和阿莫西林（22.09%）,替硝唑（20.93%）、四环素（2.32%）和利福平（2.33%）耐药率极低。结论：本地区幽门螺杆菌对甲硝唑、替硝唑、克拉霉素和阿莫西林的耐药性较高,应在药敏检测指导下选择应用。     

浙江台州沿海地区幽门螺杆菌耐药性流行病学研究

目的 探讨台州沿海地区幽门螺杆菌(Helicobacter pylori,Hp)耐药性流行病学状况,指导临床合理用药. 方法收集2006年6月～2009年6月胃镜检查患者3 826例,男2 157例,年龄6～81岁,平均37.2岁,女1 669例,年龄4～85岁,平均38.6岁,活检取胃黏膜进行Hp分离培养,对Hp分离株进行药敏试验. 结果 进行统计分析. 结果 3 826例标本中,1 456例Hp培养阳性,1 456株Hp临床分离株对克拉霉素、阿莫西林、庆大霉素、呋喃唑酮、甲硝唑、左氧氟沙星的耐药率分别为11.61%,14.35%,1.37%,21.22%,89.01%,0.00%. 结论 台州地区根除Hp药物宜首选左氧氟沙星、庆大霉素、克拉霉素,甲硝唑耐药率高,不宜选用.     

幽门螺杆菌感染的消化性溃疡10日序贯疗法效果观察

消化性溃疡与幽门螺杆菌（Hp）感染关系密切。目前根除Hp治疗方案最常见的是,以质子泵抑制药（PPI）或铋剂为基础加2种抗生素（克拉霉素,阿莫西林）的7-14日三联疗法。但是由于克拉霉素、替硝唑、甲硝唑耐药率的提高,     

呋喃唑酮三联疗法治疗小儿幽门螺杆菌感染

目的：探讨根除耐药幽门螺杆菌（Hp）的治疗方法。方法：经三联疗法（甲硝唑＋克拉霉素＋枸橼酸铋钾或奥美拉唑）治疗后耐药的患儿，行胃镜检查，取胃窦黏膜组织并培养Hp；根据药敏试验，选用以呋喃唑酮为主的三联方案（呋喃唑酮＋阿莫西林＋枸橼酸铋钾或奥美拉唑）治疗。结果：呋喃唑酮三联方案根除治疗耐药Hp效果好。结论：在根除Hp治疗时，如果出现耐药，则进行Hp培养＋药敏试验，呋喃唑酮是耐药菌的首选。     

咸宁地区胃疾病患者幽门螺杆菌感染及耐药性分析

目的:探讨咸宁地区胃疾病患者幽门螺杆菌(Helicobacter pylori,Hp)感染及耐药状况.方法:从402例胃疾病患者的胃黏膜活检组织中共分离、鉴定出267株Hp.用Kirby-Baner药敏纸片法检测,Hp对甲硝唑、克拉霉素、阿莫西林、左氧氟沙星、庆大霉素的耐药率.结果:咸宁地区胃疾病患者Hp感染率为66.4%,不同胃疾病、区域之间感染率差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05),不同性别之间感染率差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05),Hp对甲硝唑、克拉霉素、阿莫西林、左氧氟沙星、庆大霉素的耐药率分别为71.5%、11.0%、12.2%、6.2%、2.2%.结论:咸宁地区胃疾病患者Hp感染率较高,其感染率农村高于城市,Hp感染是胃疾病的发生因素.Hp对甲硝唑的耐药性严重,克拉霉素和阿莫西林为本地区根除Hp感染的首选抗菌药物.     

109例幽门螺杆菌培养阳性患者耐药情况及临床治疗分析

目的针对109例幽门螺杆菌（Helicobacter pylori,Hp）培养阳性患者药敏试验结果及耐药情况分析,指导临床选择根除Hp治疗的药物。方法对快速尿素酶试验阳性的患者进行幽门螺杆菌的培养,将培养阳性和阴性的患者进行年龄和性别的统计学分析。同时对于培养阳性的菌株进行药敏试验,根据结果对城乡居民进行耐药率比较。根据药敏试验选择抗生素进行Hp根除治疗,对于培养阴性的患者根据阳性组药敏试验结果经验性的选择抗生素进行根除Hp治疗,将两组治疗结果进行统计学分析,判断根除治疗效果。结果 109例患者培养出幽门螺杆菌,培养阳性组和阴性组在年龄组成、性别和疾病分布上相近（P〉0.05）,药敏实验结果表明对甲硝唑、呋喃唑酮、四环素、阿莫西林、克拉霉素、庆大霉素、左氧氟沙星的耐药率分别为47.70%、42.20%、33.94%、10.09%、9.17%、2.75%及2.75%。其中,在城市居民中耐药率为57.14%,在乡镇居民中耐药率79.01%,,有显著差异（P〈0.05）。培养阳性组Hp根除率达到97.89%,阴性组的根除率也达到了82.96%,两组对比有显著差异（P〈0.05）,但是均能达到根除率不低于80%的临床要求。结论 Hp的培养和药敏试验可作为幽门螺杆菌感染和耐药情况分析的有效方法,有利于指导临床进行根除Hp治疗的药物选择。     

琼脂稀释法检测5种抗菌药物对幽门螺杆菌的体外抑制效应

目的：探讨临床常用的5种抗菌药物对幽门螺杆菌（Hp）的体外抑制效应,旨在为临床根除Hp提供理论参考。方法：琼脂稀释法测定单药及联合用药对110株临床分离的Hp的最小抑菌浓度（MIC）和联合抑菌分数（FIC）。结果：110株Hp对5种抗菌药物的耐药率,左氧氟沙星为76.4%、克拉霉素为51.8%、替硝唑为20.9%、阿莫西林为8.2%、左奥硝唑为2.7%。5种抗菌药物的二联用药对Hp的抑制效应为：阿莫西林联合克拉霉素/左奥硝唑的协同抑制效应最强,替硝唑联合阿莫西林/左奥硝唑、左氧氟沙星联合阿莫西林/左奥硝唑具有协同抑制效应,克拉霉素联合左奥硝唑具有累加抑菌效应。结论：Hp对左氧氟沙星有较高的耐药性,对克拉霉素和替硝唑有一定的耐药性,对阿莫西林和左奥硝唑较敏感;阿莫西林联合克拉霉素/左奥硝唑对Hp的协同抑制效应最强。对根除Hp的治疗应在药物敏感性试验检测结果下选择性地应用抗菌药物。     

Hp临床分离株对5种抗生素的耐药性分析

目的:分析Hp临床分离株对5种抗生素的耐药性分析。方法:选取某院消化道症状患者89例的Hp临床分离株,行纸片扩散法检测Hp对5种抗生素的敏感性,并对其进行分析。结果:未经抗Hp治疗患者的Hp对阿莫西林、呋喃唑酮、左氧氟沙星、克拉霉素和甲硝唑的耐药率分别为4.5%、3.4%、37.1%、31.5%和76.4%。经抗Hp治疗与未经抗Hp治疗患者的Hp对甲硝唑耐药率比较,差异不具有统计学意义(P0.05);经抗Hp治疗与未经抗Hp治疗患者的Hp对左氧氟沙星、克拉霉素耐药率比较,差异显著,具有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:抗Hp5种药物中,Hp对呋喃唑酮和阿莫西林的耐药率较低,可作为根除Hp的首选药物;对左氧氟沙星和克拉霉素的耐药率相对较高,选用时要在药敏检测指导下完成;对甲硝唑的耐药率较高,不可作为一线药物使用。     

含四环素四联疗法作为一线方案根除幽门螺杆菌感染的疗效

目的观察埃索美拉唑、枸橼酸铋钾、四环素、甲硝唑四联疗法作为一线方案根除幽门螺杆菌(Hp)感染的疗效。方法将148例门诊Hp阳性的患者分为观察组(74例)使用埃索美拉唑、枸橼酸铋钾、四环素、甲硝唑四联抗Hp治疗。对照组(74例)使用埃索美拉唑、克拉霉素、阿莫西林三联疗法;疗程均为1wk。疗程结束4～8wk后复查胃镜或~(14)C呼气试验,检查Hp根除状况。结果观察组成功随访68例,其中62例Hp得到根除;按方案根除率为91%。对照组成功随访69例,42例Hp得到根除,按方案根除率为61%。2组根除率比较,差异有非常显著意义(P<0.01)。2组不良反应无显著差异(P>0.05)。结论含四环素的四联抗Hp治疗方案效果明显优于三联方案;在甲硝唑和克拉霉素高耐药的地区可以考虑作为一线治疗方案。     

Helicobacter pylori eradication with proton pump inhibitor-based triple therapies and re-treatment with ranitidine bismuth citrate-based triple therapy

BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that short-term triple therapy comprising a proton pump inhibitor, plus clarithromycin and amoxycillin be used as first choice in treating H. pylori infection, while eradication failure patients should be further treated with a quadruple therapy. Nevertheless, conflicting results have been reported using these treatment regimens in different countries. METHODS: A total of 278 patients with H. pylori infection were randomised to receive one-week triple therapy, comprising clarithromycin 500 mg b.d., amoxycillin 1 g b.d., and either omeprazole 20 mg b.d. (OAC; 90 patients), or pantoprazole 40 mg b.d. (PAC; 95 patients), or lansoprazole 30 mg b.d. (LAC; 93 patients). H. pylori infection at entry, and eradication 4-6 weeks after therapy had ended, were assessed by rapid urease test and histology on biopsies from the antrum and the corpus. When eradication did not occur, patients were given a 2-week treatment comprising ranitidine bismuth citrate 400 mg b.d., tetracycline 500 mg t.d.s. and tinidazole 500 mg b.d. (RBTT). Eradication in these patients was assessed 4-6 weeks after conclusion of treatment by a further endoscopy. RESULTS: Six patients were lost to the follow-up. At the end of the first course of treatment, the overall H. pylori eradication rate was 78% (95% CI: 73-83) and 79% (95% CI: 75-84) at 'intention-to-treat' (ITT) and 'per protocol' (PP) analysis, respectively, without any statistically significant difference between treatment regimens, although a trend for better results with the omeprazole combination was observed. Moreover, H. pylori eradication was achieved in 82% (95% CI: 75-97) (ITT) and 86% (95% CI: 69-94) (PP) of 38 patients re-treated with RBTT regimen. CONCLUSIONS: Our data found that this short-term triple therapy is not a satisfactory treatment (< 80% eradication rate) for H. pylori infection. The 2-week triple therapy used as re-treatment in eradication failure patients yielded more promising results.     

A triple therapy regimen after failed Helicobacter pylori treatments

BACKGROUND: Following standard triple therapy, up to 20% of patients require further Helicobacter pylori eradication treatment. Data regarding the efficacy of re-treatment in these patients are scarce. AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of a triple therapy after one or more consecutive treatment failures. METHODS: A total of 51 patients with persistent H. pylori infection after at least one unsuccessful standard 1-week regimen were enrolled in the study. H. pylori infection at entry was assessed by rapid urease test and histology on biopsies from the antrum and the corpus. Patients were given a 2-week triple therapy, comprising ranitidine bismuth citrate 400 mg b.d., tetracycline 500 mg t.d.s., and tinidazole 500 mg b.d. Ranitidine bismuth citrate was given during meals, whilst tetracycline and tinidazole was given after meals. Bacterial eradication was assessed by endoscopy (36 patients) or 13C-urea breath test (15 patients) 4-6 weeks after therapy had ended. RESULTS: All 51 patients completed the study and H. pylori eradication was achieved in 46, with an eradication rate of 90% (95% CI: 82-98). In detail, bacterial eradication was obtained in 96% of patients who had previously failed one course of clarithromycin-amoxicillin based triple therapy, in 88% patients who had failed a clarithromycin-tinidazole based triple therapy, in 83% patients who had failed both treatment schedules, and in the only patient who had failed three consecutive therapeutic attempts. Two patients took the therapy for 9 and 10 days instead of the full 14 day-course. No major side-effects were reported, whilst six (12%) patients complained of mild side-effects. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that this triple therapy regimen is effective for re-treatment of H. pylori infection.     

Helicobacter pylori infection--current treatment practice

Helicobacter pylori infection, which is present in 30 - 60% of the population in developed countries and in more than 60% in developing countries, is established to be a major cause of gastritis, peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. Eradication therapy has been incorporated into clinical practice over the past 15 years. Treatment regimens include a 2 week bismuth-based triple therapy (a bismuth compound plus metronidazole, tetracycline or amoxycillin), a 1 week proton-pump inhibitor (PPI)-based triple therapy and a 1 week ranitidine bismuth citrate (RBC)-based triple therapy (a PPI or RBC plus any two of the three antibiotics, metronidazole, amoxycillin and clarithromycin). These regimens achieve eradication rates of > 80%. H. pylori resistance to metronidazole and clarithromycin decreases the clinical efficacy of most regimens, despite the high eradication rates for resistant strains achieved by the RBC-triple therapy in some recent trials. The dose of antibiotics (especially clarithromycin) and the duration of treatment may also influence the eradication rate. Doctors' beliefs impact on clinical practice and, thus, influence the clinical application of eradication therapy. Whereas peptic ulcer disease and primary gastric low-grade B-cell mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma (MALToma) have become established as definite indications for eradication therapy, there remain controversies surrounding non-ulcer dyspepsia, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia, use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and H. pylori-related extradigestive diseases.     

Helicobacter pylori infection - current treatment practice

Helicobacter pylori infection, which is present in 30 - 60% of the population in developed countries and in more than 60% in developing countries, is established to be a major cause of gastritis, peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. Eradication therapy has been incorporated into clinical practice over the past 15 years. Treatment regimens include a 2 week bismuth-based triple therapy (a bismuth compound plus metronidazole, tetracycline or amoxycillin), a 1 week proton-pump inhibitor (PPI)-based triple therapy and a 1 week ranitidine bismuth citrate (RBC)-based triple therapy (a PPI or RBC plus any two of the three antibiotics, metronidazole, amoxycillin and clarithromycin). These regimens achieve eradication rates of >> 80%. H. pylori resistance to metronidazole and clarithromycin decreases the clinical efficacy of most regimens, despite the high eradication rates for resistant strains achieved by the RBC-triple therapy in some recent trials. The dose of antibiotics (especially clarithromycin) and the duration of treatment may also influence the eradication rate. Doctors’ beliefs impact on clinical practice and, thus, influence the clinical application of eradication therapy. Whereas peptic ulcer disease and primary gastric low-grade B-cell mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma (MALToma) have become established as definite indications for eradication therapy, there remain controversies surrounding non-ulcer dyspepsia, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia, use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and H. pylori-related extradigestive diseases.     

Failure of a 1-day high-dose quadruple therapy for cure of Helicobacter pylori infection

BACKGROUND: The optimal duration of treatment for eradication of Helicobacter pylori has still to be defined. A 1-day high-dose quadruple therapy with a combination of amoxycillin (or tetracycline), metronidazole, a bismuth salt and a proton pump inhibitor has led to eradication rates of 57-77%. In view of the high frequency of metronidazole-resistant strains of H. pylori in Europe, we hypothesized that by using clarithromycin in place of metronidazole and by increasing the dose of proton pump inhibitor, the efficacy of a 1-day high-dose quadruple therapy could be improved. METHODS: Patients were randomized to receive either amoxycillin 1000 mg b.d., clarithromycin 500 mg b.d. and lansoprazole 30 mg b.d. for 7 days, or amoxycillin 2000 mg q.d.s., clarithromycin 500 mg q.d.s., lansoprazole 30 mg t.d.s. and bismuth subcitrate 240 mg q.d.s. for 1 day. RESULTS: It was originally intended to include 100 patients. The first planned interim analysis performed after follow-up was completed for 30 patients revealed H. pylori eradication rates of 80% (12/15) in the 7-day triple therapy group and 20% (3/15) in the 1-day quadruple therapy group, the difference being highly significant (P = 0.003). Because the efficacy of the 1-day treatment was so low, the study was stopped for ethical reasons. Eleven patients who failed with the 1-day treatment were re-treated with the 7-day triple therapy: the eradication rate was 91% (10/11). CONCLUSIONS: One-day high-dose quadruple therapy with amoxycillin, clarithromycin, lansoprazole and bismuth subcitrate is dramatically less effective than the classic 7-day triple therapy with the same antibiotics.     

Effect of ornidazole and clarithromycin resistance on eradication of Helicobacter pylori in peptic ulcer disease

BACKGROUND: Clarithromycin and nitroimidazoles such as metronidazole and ornidazole are among the most frequently used antibiotics for curing Helicobacter pylori infection. However, controversial data exist on whether their in vitro resistance has a negative impact on treatment outcome. METHODS: Patients with H. pylori positive active peptic ulcer disease were randomly assigned to receive lansoprazole 30 mg o.d., amoxycillin 1 g b.d. and ornidazole 500 mg b.d. (LAO) or lansoprazole 30 mg o.d., amoxycillin 1 g b.d. and clarithromycin 500 mg b.d. (LAC) for 2 weeks. Pre-treatment resistance to ornidazole and clarithromycin was assessed by Epsilometer (E-) test. Four weeks after completion of treatment, patients underwent a 13C urea breath test to assess H. pylori status. RESULTS: Data from 80 patients with active peptic ulcer disease and positive H. pylori status were analysed. The prevalence of primary drug resistance was 25% for metronidazole and 7.5% for clarithromycin. In patients treated with LAO, effective treatment was achieved in 87% of metronidazole-susceptible, but only 30% of metronidazole-resistant strains (P < 0.01). In the LAC group, therapy was successful in 81% of clarithromycin-susceptible strains, whereas treatment failed in all patients with primary clarithromycin resistance (n = 3). CONCLUSION: Resistance against nitroimidazoles significantly affects treatment outcome in H. pylori eradication therapy.     

A new highly effective short-term therapy schedule for Helicobacter pylori eradication

BACKGROUND: Although triple therapy regimens suggested in the Current European guidelines give fairly good results, several studies have reported an unsatisfactory Helicobacter pylori eradication rate (< 80%). AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of a new short-term treatment sequence on H. pylori eradication. METHODS: A total of 52 patients with H. pylori infection and either non-ulcer dyspepsia (34 patients) or peptic ulcer (18 patients) were enrolled to receive a 10-day therapy: omeprazole 20 mg b.d. plus amoxycillin 1 g b.d. for the first 5 days, followed by omeprazole 20 mg b.d., clarithromycin 500 mg b.d. and tinidazole 500 mg b.d. for the remaining 5 days. H. pylori infection at entry was assessed by rapid urease test and histology on biopsies from the antrum and the corpus. Bacterial eradication was assessed by endoscopy (peptic ulcer patients) or 13C urea breath test (non-ulcer dyspepsia patients) 4-6 weeks after therapy had ended. RESULTS: All patients completed the study. H. pylori eradication was achieved in all but one patient, with an eradication rate of 98% (95% CI: 94.3-100) with intention-to-treat analysis. Patient compliance was good (consumption of prescribed drugs > 95%) for all but one patient, who took the triple therapy regimen for 4 days instead of 5 days. No major side-effects were reported but three (6%) patients complained of mild side-effects. CONCLUSIONS: The use of this 'five plus five' therapy schedule as an initial treatment for H. pylori deserves further investigation.     

Treatment of Helicobacter pylori

Recognition in the last 12 years that H. pylori is a common infection which causes the majority of peptic ulcers and many gastric cancers has revolutionised understanding of these diseases. However, genuinely novel treatments have in the main not yet emerged. Eradication of H. pylori is difficult because of the problems of delivering bactericidal levels of antibiotics to the gastric mucus where the organism resides, because of the emergence of resistance to nitroimidazoles and clarithromycin, and possibly because H. pylori can assume a resting coccoid form which is not susceptible to antibiotic treatment. To date, eradication treatment has been based upon the use of existing antibiotics employed in intensive multi-drug regimes of three basic types. Bismuth-based triple therapy employed ampicillin or a nitroimidazole, tetracycline and bismuth and achieved eradication rates of approximately 80%. Dual therapy in which amoxycillin was added to omeprazole was briefly popular because of its greater simplicity but fell from favour when it was realised that eradication rates were considerably lower. However, the recognition that proton pump inhibitors enhance eradication by either direct or indirect mechanisms led to the development of what is currently the most effective treatment - proton pump-based triple therapy in which a nitroimidazole or amoxycillin is combined with a proton pump inhibitor and clarithromycin. Such regimes achieve approximately 90% eradication. So far, the only therapy specifically developed for the treatment of H. pylori is ranitidine bismuth citrate (Pylorid). This new chemical entity based on ranitidine and bismuth citrate uses the antibacterial effects of bismuth to kill H. pylori but requires co-administration of another antibiotic to achieve reasonable eradication rates. In the future, further novel, specific anti-Helicobacter treatment can be expected, as a result of strategies targeted at key virulence factors or metabolic pathways such as the organism's urease, adhesin, cytotoxin, oxidase or nitro reductase activities. Some of these strategies will involve vaccination. Other possible approaches include targeting the coccoid form, achieving single treatment eradication and more effective gastric mucus delivery systems.     

Efficacy of a multistep strategy for Helicobacter pylori eradication

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori eradication therapies do not achieve 100% success rates. Antibiotic resistant strains are among the major causes of failure. Current recommendations concerning the management of treatment failures are not fully clear. AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of a multi-step therapeutic strategy in a large group of infected patients. METHODS: A total of 2606 H. pylori-positive patients were administered tinidazole, clarithromycin and a proton pump inhibitor for 1 week. Patients with continuing infection were then given a second 1-week course of amoxycillin, clarithromycin and ranitidine bismuth citrate. Patients still infected after the second course underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with H. pylori culture, and then received a 1-week quadruple proton pump inhibitor-bismuth based scheme established on H. pylori antibiotic sensitivity. RESULTS: After the first step, eradication was achieved in 2063 out of 2413 patients [86% per protocol analysis (PP); 79% intention-to-treat analysis (ITT)]. First-step failures (350 out of 2413; 14.5% PP) showed second-step eradication rates of 82% (271 out of 329 patients, PP; 77% ITT). The specific quadruple therapy for second-step failures (58 out of 329, 18% PP) achieved 77% (30 out of 39 patients, PP) or 52% (ITT) success. This algorithm led to overall eradication rates of 99% (PP) or 91% (ITT). CONCLUSIONS: This multi-step strategy succeeded in a high percentage of H. pylori infected patients. Given the lack of precise guidelines on treatment failures, assessing H. pylori sensitivity to antibiotics only after failure of the second treatment could be suggested in clinical practice.     

The importance of the level of metronidazole resistance for the success of Helicobacter pylori eradication

AIMS: To evaluate the role of antibiotic susceptibility for the treatment outcome of proton pump inhibitor-dependent and independent Helicobacter pylori eradication regimens. METHODS: In a placebo-controlled clinical study of peptic ulcer patients with H. pylori infection, patients were randomized to receive lansoprazole, clarithromycin and tinidazole twice-daily, clarithromycin and tinidazole once-daily with lansoprazole or with placebo. Helicobacter pylori status was assessed by culture and antibiotic susceptibility by E-test minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) in 205 clinical isolates. RESULTS: Primary resistance to clarithromycin and metronidazole was 1 and 76%, respectively. In metronidazole susceptible strains eradication rates were similar at > 90% for all treatment groups (P = 0.49). With low-level metronidazole resistance (4 microg/mL < MIC < 256 microg/mL), eradication rates were similar at >75% (P = 0.80). The major difference was found at high-level metronidazole resistance (MIC >or= 256 microg/mL) with 95%, 58% and 21% eradication in the lansoprazole, clarithromycin and tinidazole twice-daily, lansoprazole, clarithromycin and tinidazole once-daily and placebo, clarithromycin and tinidazole once-daily groups, respectively (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In the absence of antibiotic resistance, a once-daily therapy of only clarithromycin and tinidazole can achieve a high rate of H. pylori eradication. Such a combination could offer a simpler and cheaper treatment option for developing countries. The standard, twice-daily proton pump inhibitor-based triple therapy was shown to be efficient in H. pylori eradication even in the presence of high-level metronidazole resistance.