Evolution of metronidazole and tetracycline susceptibility pattern in Helicobacter pylori at a hospital in Saudi Arabia

The association of Helicobacter pylori with chronic gastritis and peptic ul cer disease led to new therapeutic approaches including the use of antibiot ics. Recently, resistance of H. pylori to antibiotics has emerged as the ma jor cause of treatment failure. This retrospective analysis was aimed at in vestigating the development of antimicrobial susceptibility patterns amongs t H, pylori strains isolated at King Fahd Hospital of the University. Al-Kh obar. Susceptibility patterns obtained using isolates from a pilot study (1 987-1988) were compared with those subsequently isolated (1990-1996). Metro nidazole resistance was estimated to be 35.2%, in the first period but more than doubled (78.5%) during the second period. isolates From females showe d a higher resistance rate to metronidazole than those from males. Only one strain was tetracycline resistant. The extremely high resistance rate to m etronidazole indicates that it may not be very effective for eradication of H. pylori. Tetracycline should prove a useful component of treatment regim ens in this geographical region. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. and Interna tional Society of Chemotherapy All rights reserved.