RECRUDESCENCE OF HELICOBACTER-PYLORI INFECTION IN PATIENTS WITH HEALED DUODENAL-ULCER AFTER TREATMENT WITH DIFFERENT REGIMENS

Objective: To determine the 12-month posttherapy recurrence (recrudesc ence) of Helicobacter pylori in patients with healed duodenal ulcer af ter apparent eradication of the organism with anti-H. pylori treatment . The influence of original anti-H. pylori treatment regimens on the r ecrudescence was also evaluated. Methods: One hundred and ninety patie nts who had duodenal ulcer healed and H. pylori eradicated (as assesse d by four routine techniques 4 wk after the end of anti-H. pylori ther apy) with one of five regimens were studied. The five regimens were: 1 ) colloidal bismuth subcitrate (CBS) 120 mg; 2) CBS plus amoxicillin ( 500 mg); 3) CBS plus metronidazole (400 mg); 4) CBS plus metronidazole and amoxicillin; and 5) CBS plus metronidazole and tetracycline (500 mg). CBS was taken four times daily for 4 wk, and antibiotics were tak en three times daily for the first week. The patients were re-endoscop ed, and the status of H. pylori, duodenal ulcer, and gastritis was ass essed after a period of follow-up (mean 14 months after commencement o f treatment). Results: H. pylori infection recurred in 36 (18.9%) of t hese patients. Recrudescence rate with monotherapy was 47.1%, with dua l therapy 29.2-35% and with triple therapy 9.2-14.3%. Nineteen (52.7%) of the 36 patients with recrudescent infection had ulcer relapse, and the rate for H. pylori-negative patients was 3.2% (5/154). Conclusion : Recrudescence of H. pylori infection after apparent eradication can occur, but it could be that the treatment was only suppressing the org anism. The definition of eradication of H. pylori infection may need t o be revised, and more sensitive techniques to assess eradication of H . pylori are required.