Comparison of 1- and 2-week pantoprazole-based triple therapies in clarithromycin-sensitive and resistant cases.
BACKGROUND
The objectives of this prospective study were: (i) to compare the efficacy of 1-week with 2-week pantoprazole-based triple therapy and (ii) to evaluate the impact of clarithromycin resistance on Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication rates.


METHODS
Eighty dyspeptic patients were randomly allocated to two groups. The first group (PAC-1, n=40) received pantoprazole 40 mg, amoxicillin 1000 mg, and clarithromycin 500 mg twice a day for one week, and the second group (PAC-2, n=40) received the same regimen for two weeks. Endoscopy was repeated one month after the end of the treatment.


RESULTS
DNA extraction for clarithromycin resistance could not be performed in seven cases. Five cases were lost to follow-up. Clarithromycin resistance was found to be 44.1% (15/34) in the PAC-1 group and 58.8% (20/34) in the PAC-2 group (p>0.05). Eradication was achieved in 16 (PP: 47.1%, ITT: 44.4%) and 25 (PP:73.5%, ITT: 67.6%) patients in the PAC-1 and PAC-2 groups, respectively (p>0.05). H. pylori was eradicated in 4 of 15 (PP: 26.7%, ITT: 26.7%) clarithromycin-resistant patients in the PAC-1 group and in 12 of 20 (PP: 60%, ITT: 60%) clarithromycin-resistant patients in the PAC-2 group (p>0.05). Among the clarithromycin-sensitive ones, eradication was achieved in 12 of 19 (PP: 63.2%, ITT: 57.1%) patients in the PAC-1 group and in 13 of 14 (PP: 92.8%, ITT: 76.5%) patients in the PAC-2 group (p>0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Although the 2-week regimen of pantoprazole-based triple therapy was effective for H. pylori eradication in clarithromycin-sensitive cases, highly effective H. pylori eradication protocols are needed for clarithromycin-resistant ones.
Aydin
Ahmet
A
Ege University Medical School, Department of Gastroenterology, Izmir, Turkey.
Onder
Goktug
G
Akarca
Ulus
U
Tekin
Fatih
F
Tuncyurek
Muge
M
Ilter
Tankut
T