title: [Antimicrobial susceptibility of Helicobacter pylori strains isolated in Colombia].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Helicobacter pylori antimicrobial resistance rates differ among countries and even between different areas of a country. In Colombia, the most commonly used antimicrobials for the treatment of H pylori infection are amoxicillin, clarithromycin and metronidazole.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine antimicrobial susceptibility of H pylori strains isolated in Colombia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty eight strains of H pylori were isolated and identified by microbiological methods and confirmed with polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The detection of antimicrobial resistance to amoxicillin, clarithromycin, metronidazole and tetraclycline, was conducted by the Etest method. Mutations in the 23S rDNA, involved in resistance to clarithromycin, were detected using PCR and restriction fragment length polymorphism.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty eight and 2.2% of the strains were resistant to metronidazole and clarithromycin, respectively. No isolate was simultaneously resistant to amoxicillin or tetracycline. The two clarithromycin resistant strains were homozygous for the A2143G mutation. No mutations were found in the remaining 86 susceptible strains.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high rate of metronidazole resistance in our population precludes the use of this drug for the empirical treatment of H pylori infection.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Microbiología y Parasitología, Centro de Biología Molecular y Biotecnología, Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira, Pereira, Colombia. adalucy@yahoo.es
authors.forename: Adalucy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: José Ignacio
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Moncayo
authors.forename: Jorge Javier
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Santacruz
authors.forename: Luisa Fernanda
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Corredor
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Reinosa
authors.forename: José William
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Beltrán
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000145:classification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008795:Metronidazole / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000379:methods; D009154:Mutation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D008795:Metronidazole