Ultrashort regimen of lansoprazole-amoxicillin-azithromycin for eradicating Helicobacter pylori

The efficacy and safety of two ultrashort azithromycin-containing regimens for Helicobacter pylori infection were studied. Patients positive for H. pylori infection were assigned to receive either a three-day drug regimen (group A) or a five-day regimen (group B). In both groups, patients received lansoprazole 30 mg p.o. twice daily on day 1 and, on days 2 and 3, lansoprazole 30 mg p.o. twice daily, amoxicillin 1 g (of anhydrous amoxicillin) p.o. twice daily, and azithromycin 500 mg (of anhydr ous azithromycin) p.o. twice daily. Group B patients received lansoprazole 30 mg p.o. twice daily and amoxicillin 1 g p.o. twice daily for two additio nal days. Gastric biopsy specimens were subjected to culture and susceptibi lity testing. A minimum of four weeks after the completion of therapy, the patients underwent a C-14-urea breath test to determine whether H. pylori h ad been eradicated. A total of 28 patients were enrolled (15 in group A and 13 in group B). Tre atment was well tolerated. H. pylori was eradicated in 4 (36%) of 11 patien ts in group A and 2 (22%) of 9 group B patients (26.6% and 15.4%, respectiv ely, in intention-to-treat analysis). None of the isolates of H. pylori sho wed resistance to amoxicillin or clarithromycin. Regimens consisting of lansoprazole plus two or four days of azithromycin a nd amoxicillin therapy eradicated H. pylori in 36% and 22% of patients, res pectively.