Impact of clarithromycin resistance on the effectiveness of a regimen for Helicobacter pylori: a prospective study of 1-week lansoprazole, amoxycillin and clarithromycin in active peptic ulcer
Ja. Ducons et al., Impact of clarithromycin resistance on the effectiveness of a regimen for Helicobacter pylori: a prospective study of 1-week lansoprazole, amoxycillin and clarithromycin in active peptic ulcer, ALIM PHARM, 13(6), 1999, pp. 775-780
Background: Clarithromycin is a key antimicrobial in the combinations used
to cure Helicobacter pylori infections, so there is a need to define the im
pact of in vitro resistance on in vivo results.
Methods: A prospective trial was designed to study the effectiveness of the
1-week combination of lansoprazole, clarithromycin and amoxycillin in 102
consecutive patients with active peptic ulcer. The pre-treatment and post-t
reatment sensitivity to amoxycillin, metronidazole and clarithromycin were
studied by E-test, and H. pylori status was defined by histology, culture a
nd urease test at diagnosis and one month after treatment, and by urea-brea
th test 2 months after treatment.
Results: The eradication rate (intention-to-treat analysis) was 77% (95% CI
: 69-86). No clinical factor was found to be different between eradicated a
nd non-eradicated patients. Clarithromycin-resistant strains were found in
10 (10%; CI: 5-17) patients. The eradication rate was 20% (CI: 3-56) in the
se patients vs. 83% (CI: 75-91) in patients harbouring clarithromycin-sensi
tive strains (P < 0.001). A logistic-regression analysis confirmed clarithr
omycin resistance as the only factor associated with treatment failure.
Conclusions: Clarithromycin resistance significatively impairs the effectiv
eness of the combination of lansoprazole, amoxycillin, and clarithromycin.
The 80% efficacy goal will be difficult to reach in areas with high (>10%)
primary clarithromyicin resistance, if currently recommended proton pump in
hibitor-triple therapies are used.