ANTIMICROBIAL SUSCEPTIBILITY PATTERN AND BIOTYPING OF HELICOBACTER-PYLORI ISOLATES FROM PATIENTS WITH PEPTIC-ULCER DISEASES

Antimicrobial susceptibility of 50 local isolates of Helicobacter pylo ri from patients with acid peptic diseases was investigated to commonl y used antibiotics. The maximum resistance was (66%) detected to metro nidazole (MIG > 8 mu g/ml). The frequency of resistance to ampicillin, erythromycin, ciprofloxacin was in the range of 20-28 per cent; least resistance was observed to tetracycline (10%). The gradient disc diff usion method was found to give reproducible results and also correlate d with agar dilution method for minimum inhibitory concentration (MIG) . Study of the enzymatic activity of H. pylori isolates showed that al l isolates had urease, catalase, oxidase, esterase-lipase, and naphtho l-AS-beta-1-phosphohydrolase enzymes and were consistently negative fo r ten other enzymes tested. Majority of the Isolates expressed alkalin e phosphatase (17/18), esterase (17/18) and acid phosphatase (14/18). The acid phosphatase had the maximum mean enzymatic activity, There wa s no difference in enzymatic activity between H. pylori isolates from ulcer and gastritis patients. H. pylori isolates could be typed into f ive biotypes. Type III was found to be more common (44.4%). This study supports the existence of the strain variations among H. pylori on th e basis of the enzymes profiles.