One-year follow-up study of Helicobacter pylori eradication rate with 13C-urea breath test after 3-d and 7-d rabeprazole-based triple therapy

AIM: To investigate the long-term role of a 3-d rabeprazole-based triple therapy in patients with Helicobacter pylori (H pylori)-infected active peptic ulcers. METHODS: We prospectively studied 115 consecutive patients with H pylori-infected active peptic ulcers. H pylori infection was confirmed if any two of H pylori DNA, histology, and rapid urease test were positive. Patients were assigned to either an open-labeled 3-d course of oral amoxicillin 1 000 mg b.i.d., clarithromycin 500 mg b.i.d., and rabeprazole 20 mg b.i.d., or 7-d course of oral amoxicillin 1 000 mg b.i.d., clarithromycin 500 mg b.i.d., and rabeprazole 20 mg b.i.d. Subsequently, all patients received oral rabeprazole 20 mg once daily until the 8th wk. Three months after therapy, all patients were followed-up endoscopically for the peptic ulcer, H pylori DNA, histology, and rapid urease test. One year after therapy, H pylori infection was tested using the 13C-urea breath test. RESULTS: The ulcer healing rates 3 mo after therapy were 81.0% vs 75.4% for the 3-d and 7-d groups [intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis, P=0.47] respectively, and 90.4% vs 89.6% for the 3-d and 7-d groups [per-protocol (PP) analysis, P=0.89] respectively. The eradication rates 3 mo after therapy were 75.9% vs 73.7% for the 3-d and 7-d groups (ITT, P=0.79) respectively, and 84.6% vs 87.5% for the 3-d and 7-d groups (PP, P=0.68) respectively. One year after therapy, seventy-five patients returned to receive the 13C-urea breath test, and the eradication rates were 78.4% vs 81.6% in 3-d and 7-d groups (PP, P=0.73) respectively. CONCLUSION: Our study showed the eradication rates against H pylori infection 3 and 12 mo after triple therapy were not different between the 3-d and 7-d rabeprazole-based groups. Therefore, the 3-d rabeprazole-based triple therapy may be an alternative treatment for peptic ulcers with H pylori infection.