title: Prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in Helicobacter pylori isolates in Taiwan in relation to consumption of antimicrobial agents.
abstract: During 1998-2004, a total of 218 Helicobacter pylori isolates were obtained from patients who were randomised to receive one of the following regimens in a medical centre in Taiwan: lansoprazole, amoxicillin and clarithromycin (LAC) therapy; or lansoprazole, metronidazole and clarithromycin (LMC) therapy. In the LMC group, resistance rates for metronidazole and clarithromycin reduced from 48.6% (1998-2000) to 20.4% (2001-2004) (P<0.05) and from 13.5% to 6.3% (P<0.05), respectively. Analysis of annual antimicrobial consumption found that metronidazole use was slowly decreased both in the total population and in gastrointestinal disease patients. The per-protocol analysis revealed a higher eradication rate for patients using LMC therapy in 2001-2004 (82.6% vs. 75.0%), whilst there was similar efficacy for LAC therapy (84.8% vs. 84.2%). This observation suggests an effective programme to control H. pylori antibiotic resistance and hence elevate its cure rate.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Sek-Kwong
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Poon
authors.forename: Chih-Ho
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Chi-Sen
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Wei-Yu
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Yun-Chieh
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Hung-Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Pao-Hsuan
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Hwai-Jeng
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Wen-Ching
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Wang