Short-term triple therapy with lansoprazole 30 mg or 60 mg, amoxycillin and clarithromycin to eradicate Helicobacter pylori

BACKGROUND: We investigated the efficacy of 30 vs. 60 mg lansoprazole daily in a 1-week triple therapy for eradication of Helicobacter pylori in a prospective randomized study. METHODS: Two hundred and fifteen consecutive out-patients with peptic ulcer disease or non-ulcer dyspepsia, in whom H. pylori infection was confirmed by histology and/or a urease biopsy test, were randomly assigned to a 1-week treatment with either 15 mg lansoprazole b.d. (LAC15 group) or 30 mg lansoprazole b.d. (LAC30 group) in combination with 1 g amoxycillin b.d. and 500 mg clarithromycin b.d. RESULTS: Eradication of H. pylori was successful in 87% (per protocol) and 82% (intention-to-treat) of the patients with LAC15 and in 94% (per protocol) and 87% (intention-to-treat) of the patients with LAC30. The difference was not significant. In both treatment groups, all peptic ulcers were healed at the check-up. Adverse effects were seen in 11 patients of the LAC15 group and 10 patients of the LAC30 group: they caused discontinuation of the therapy in four of the LAC15 group and two patients of the LAC 30 group. CONCLUSIONS: A 7-day triple therapy using lansoprazole (LAC15) is an efficient and economical regimen for the eradication of H. pylori.