title: Comparison of efficacy and safety of levofloxacin-containing versus standard sequential therapy in eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection in Korea.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Declining of eradication rates for Helicobacter pylori in Korea may be partly from the increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance, especially clarithromycin resistance.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare the efficacy and the safety of using 10-day standard sequential therapy and levofloxacin-containing sequential therapy as a first-line treatment for Helicobacter pylori eradication in Korea.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 200 patients with proven Helicobacter pylori infection randomly received 10-day standard sequential therapy (n = 100) or levofloxacin-containing sequential therapy (n = 100). The standard sequential therapy group received rabeprazole and amoxicillin for 5 days, followed by rabeprazole, clarithromycin, and metronidazole for 5 more days. The levofloxacin-containing sequential therapy group was treated with rabeprazole and amoxicillin for 5 days, followed by rabeprazole, levofloxacin, and metronidazole for 5 more days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intention-to-treat eradication rates were 79.0% and 78.0% for groups of standard sequential and levofloxacin-containing sequential therapy, respectively (P = 0.863). Per-protocol eradication rates were 84.9% and 81.3%, respectively, for these two therapies (P = 0.498). There were no significant differences between the groups in regard to the eradication rates and adverse events.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 10-day levofloxacin-containing sequential regimen and the standard sequential regimen showed the similar eradication rates of Helicobacter pylori in Korea.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hyuk
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Noh
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Byung-Hoon
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Min
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jun Haeng
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Poong-Lyul
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Rhee
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: leeyc@yuhs.ac.
authors.forename: Yong Chan
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: jjkim@skku.edu.
authors.forename: Jae J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000658:Amoxicillin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001944:Breath Tests; D017291:Clarithromycin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D064704:Levofloxacin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008795:Metronidazole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D064750:Rabeprazole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D056910:Republic of Korea; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014508:Urea / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors; D008795:Metronidazole; D064750:Rabeprazole; D064704:Levofloxacin; D000658:Amoxicillin; D014508:Urea; D017291:Clarithromycin
keywords: Eradication; Helicobacter pylori; Levofloxacin; Sequential therapy