Relationship of plasmid profile with the antibiotic sensitivity pattern of Helicobacter pylori isolates from peptic ulcer disease patients in Chennai.
OBJECTIVE
One hundred and ten Helicobacter pylori isolates from peptic ulcer disease patients and matched controls were analysed for any possible relationship between the presence of cryptic plasmids and their antibiotic sensitivity pattern.


METHODS
Antral biopsies of patients with gastric and duodenal ulcer, gastric cancer, non ulcer dyspepsia and matched controls were cultured for H. pylori. Antibiotic susceptibility and MIC analysis of the clinical isolates was done by E-test. Plasmid profiles of the isolates were analysed using mini ultra prep plasmid kit.


RESULTS
Out of the 110 isolates tested, 89.1% isolates were resistant to metronidazole, 10.9 % were resistant to clarithromycin and 0.9% were resistant to multiple drugs. Isolates harbouring plasmids were seen in all the groups and constituted 5.4% of total isolates.


CONCLUSIONS
The presence of plasmids in the clinical isolates of H. pylori did not have any correlation with their antibiotic resistance pattern.
Dharmalingam
S
S
Department of Microbiology, Dr. ALM Postgraduate Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Madras, Taramani, Chennai - 600 113, India.
Rao
U A
UA
Jayaraman
G
G
Thyagarajan
S P
SP