Antibiotic resistance of Helicobacter pylori isolated from Korean patients]

The distribution of minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) for amoxicillin, clarithromycin, metronidazole, tetracycline, azithromycin, and fluoroquinolone (ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, and moxifloxacin) have shifted to higher concentrations from 1987 to 2003 in Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) strains isolated from Korean patients. MIC values of secondary isolates were higher than those of primary isolates. Of treatment-failure patients, 16.4% showed mixed infections with both antibiotic-susceptible and -resistant H. pylori strains. A total of 89.6% of patients with treatment failure and 52.3% of patients without antibiotic treatment had H. pylori strains resistant to two or more antimicrobial agents (multi-drug resistance, MDR). The most common antibiotics showing MDR were clarithromycin, metronidazole, and azithromycin. The resistance rates to both amoxicillin and clarithromycin were 34.3% in secondary isolates and 6.2% in primary isolates. The resistance rates to both clarithromycin and metronidazole were 73.1% in secondary isolates and 7.7% in primary isolates. In addition, there was a significant difference in antibiotic resistance between two institutions located at Seoul and Gyeonggi provinces. To provide adequate informations about susceptible antibiotics to clinicians, continuous surveillance of antibiotic susceptibilities is needed in Korea.