title: Antimicrobial susceptibility of Helicobacter pylori to six antibiotics currently used in Spain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Antibiotic resistance is directly related to the loss of efficacy of currently accepted Helicobacter pylori therapies. Knowledge of the antibiotic susceptibility in a local area can contribute to the design of specific 'à la carte' treatments. The aim of this study was to analyse the susceptibility of H. pylori isolates to six conventional antibiotics currently used in a northern region of Spain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-one isolates were obtained from gastric biopsies of 76 consecutive adult patients suffering from peptic ulcer disease, dyspepsia or familial gastric cancer and known to be infected with H. pylori by conventional methods. Susceptibility testing was performed for amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, clarithromycin, metronidazole and tetracycline using the Etest method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence rates of resistance were as follows: amoxicillin, 1.4% [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.0-7.6]; clarithromycin, 14.7% (95% CI 7.3-25.4); ciprofloxacin, 14.3% (95% CI 7.1-24.7); levofloxacin, 14.5% (95% CI 7.2-25.0); metronidazole, 45.1% (95% CI 33.2-57.3); and tetracycline, 0% (95% CI 0.0-5.1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study confirms an increasing rate of resistance to levofloxacin that equals that of clarithromycin in our healthcare area. This fact may reflect a wide and indiscriminate use of the former antibiotic and could account for a loss of clinical effectiveness of levofloxacin-containing regimens. Moreover, clarithromycin resistance rates remain stable, which could allow us to maintain its use in our area.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Hospital of Laredo-Instituto de Formación e Investigación Marqués de Valdecilla, Avda Derechos Humanos s/n, 39770 Laredo, Cantabria, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cuadrado-Lavín
authors.forename: J Ramón
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Salcines-Caviedes
authors.forename: Miguel F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Carrascosa
authors.forename: Purificación
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mellado
authors.forename: Idoia
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Monteagudo
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Llorca
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cobo
authors.forename: M Rosario
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.forename: Blanca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ayestarán
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernández-Pousa
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: González-Colominas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001706:Biopsy; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents