title: Advantages of Moxifloxacin and Levofloxacin-based triple therapy for second-line treatments of persistent Helicobacter pylori infection: a meta analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The main aim of this meta-analysis was to compare the efficacy and safety of clarithromycin and second-generation fluoroquinolone-based triple therapy vs. bismuth-based quadruple therapy for the treatment of persistent Helicobacter pylori infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic literature search was conducted for articles and abstracts from 1981 to March 2009 using Medline, PubMed, EMBase, Google Scholar and CNKI (Chinese), Wanfang (Chinese) digital database and recent Digestive Disease Week, United European Gastroenterology Week, and European Helicobacter Study Group conferences were also performed. Boolean operators (NOT, AND, OR) were used in succession to narrow and widen the search. Sixteen articles and four abstracts met the inclusion criteria, and were included in the meta-analysis by using Review Manager 4.2.8.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The eradication rates demonstrated that clarithromycin-based triple therapy is inferior to bismuth-based quadruple therapy (OR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.35-0.80, P = 0.002). Thirteen RCTs compared levofloxacin-based triple therapy vs. bismuth-based quadruple therapy, the eradication rates of the two regimens were shown to have no significant difference (OR = 1.43, 95% CI: 0.82-2.51, P = 0.21). But the eradication rates demonstrated superiority of the 10-day levofloxacin-based triple therapy over 7-day bismuth-based quadruple therapy (OR = 4.79, 95% CI: 2.95-7.79, P < 0.00001). Levofloxacin-based triple therapy was better tolerated than bismuth-based quadruple therapy with lower rates of side effects (OR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.27-0.61, P < 0.0001), and lower rates of discontinuation of therapy due to adverse events (OR = 0.13, 95% CI: 0.06-0.33, P < 0.0001). Furthermore, our meta-analysis suggested that the eradication rates of the moxifloxacin-based triple therapy has a slight superiority to bismuth-based quadruple therapy, but there was no significant difference between them.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Second-generation fluoroquinolone-based triple therapy can be suggested as the regimen of choice for rescue therapy in the eradication of persistent H. pylori infection especially 10-day levofloxacin-based triple therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Yuqin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiayue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Linhua
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Ruihua
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Guoxin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001372:Aza Compounds / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001729:Bismuth / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017291:Clarithromycin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D024841:Fluoroquinolones / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005756:Gastritis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D064704:Levofloxacin; D000077266:Moxifloxacin; D015242:Ofloxacin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011804:Quinolines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012008:Recurrence; D019233:Retreatment
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D001372:Aza Compounds; D024841:Fluoroquinolones; D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors; D011804:Quinolines; D064704:Levofloxacin; D015242:Ofloxacin; D017291:Clarithromycin; D001729:Bismuth; D000077266:Moxifloxacin