Effect and mechanism of Qingre Huashi decoction on drug-resistant Helicobacter pylori

BACKGROUND Helicobacter pylori(HP),the most common pathogenic microorganism in stomach,can induce inflammatory reactions in the gastric mucosa,causing chronic gastritis and even gastric cancer.HP infection affects over 4.4 billion people globally,with a worldwide infection rate of up to 50%.The multidrug resistance of HP poses a serious challenge to eradication.It has been monstrated that compared to bismuth quadruple therapy,Qingre Huashi decoction(QHD)combined with triple therapy exhibits comparable eradication rates but with a lower incidence of adverse reactions;in addition,QHD directly inhibit and kill HP in vitro.METHODS In this study,12 HP strains were isolated in vitro after biopsy during gastroscopy of HP-infected patients.In vitro,the minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC)values for clinical HP strains and biofilm quantification were determined through the E-test method and crystal violet staining,respectively.The most robust biofilm-forming strain of HP was selected,and QHD was evaluated for its inhibitory and bactericidal effects on the strain with strong biofilm formation.This assessment was performed using agar dilution,E-test,killing dynamics,and transmission electron microscopy(TEM).The study also explored the impact of QHD on antibiotic resistance in these HP strains with strong biofilm formation.Crystalline violet method,scanning electron microscopy,laser confocal scanning microscopy,and(p)ppGpp chromatographic identification were employed to evaluate the effect of QHD on biofilm in strong biofilm-forming HP strains.The effect of QHD on biofilm and efflux pump-related gene expression was evaluated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction.Non-targeted metabolomics with UHPLC-MS/MS was used to identify potential metabolic pathways and biomarkers which were different between the NC and QHD groups.RESULTS HP could form biofilms of different degrees in vitro,and the intensity of formation was associated with the drug resistance of the strain.QHD had strong bacteriostatic and bactericidal effects on HP,with MICs of 32-64 mg/mL.QHD could inhibit the biofilm formation of the strong biofilm-forming HP strains,disrupt the biofilm structure,lower the accumulation of(p)ppGpp,decrease the expression of biofilm-related genes including LuxS,Spot,glup(HP1174),NapA,and CagE,and reduce the expression of efflux pump-related genes such as HP0605,HP0971,HP1327,and HP1489.Based on metabolomic analysis,QHD induced oxidative stress in HP,enhanced metabolism,and potentially inhibited relevant signaling pathways by upregulating adenosine monophosphate(AMP),thereby affecting HP growth,metabolism,and protein synthesis.CONCLUSION QHD exerts bacteriostatic and bactericidal effects on HP,and reduces HP drug resistance by inhibiting HP biofilm formation,destroying its biofilm structure,inhibiting the expression of biofilm-related genes and efflux pump-related genes,enhancing HP metabolism,and activating AMP in HP.

Research Progress of Radical Treatment of Helicobacter Pylori Based on Drug Sensitivity Test as First-Line Treatment

Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection is a global problem that affects about half of the world’s population and requires sufficient attention in clinical and scientific work. Due to differences in economic and medical conditions among countries around the world, there is currently no unified treatment plan for anti-HP. In China, empirical quadruple therapy is mainly used. With the abuse of antibiotics, many patients face the problem of secondary eradication after failure, and the resistance rate of HP is gradually increasing. After eradication failure, drug sensitivity cultivation is carried out to choose sensitive antibiotics for treatment. A new strategy is currently needed to address how to improve the eradication rate of HP during the first eradication. This article aims to discuss the first-line treatment plans and research progress for eradicating HP based on drug sensitivity testing before eradication. Compared with traditional empirical therapies, treatment based on drug sensitivity results can effectively improve the eradication rate of HP, and reduce drug resistance rates, and adverse reactions, among other benefits. .

Helicobacter pylori,esophageal precancerous lesions,and proton pump inhibitor overuse

This article reviews the cohort study published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology,which reported low rates of Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)infection among esophageal cancer(EC)patients,coupled with proton pump inhibitor(PPI)overuse.These findings suggest a potential protective role of H.pylori against EC and indicate a possible association between PPI use and increased cancer risk.In light of these findings,our article examines the complex relationship between H.pylori and esophageal precancerous lesions,exploring the potential underlying mechanisms.We also address growing concerns regarding PPI overuse,including its potential effects on cancer therapy efficacy and the risk of drug interactions.Ultimately,this article highlights the urgent need for further research to evaluate the safety and efficacy of PPIs in cancer patients and to better understand their broader implications.

BanXiaXieXin decoction treating gastritis mice with drug-resistant Helicobacter pylori and its mechanism

BACKGROUND Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)is the main pathogen that causes a variety of upper digestive diseases.The drug resistance rate of H.pylori is increasingly higher,and the eradication rate is increasingly lower.The antimicrobial resistance of H.pylori is an urgent global problem.It has been confirmed that Banxia Xiexin decoction(BXXXT)demonstrates the effects of treating gastrointestinal diseases,inhibiting H.pylori and protecting gastric mucosa.The purpose of the present study is to further explore the therapeutic effects of BXXXT on drug-resistant H.pylori.AIM To confirm that BXXXT demonstrates therapeutical effects in vivo and in vitro on gastritis mice with drug-resistant H.pylori and explain its mechanism to provide an experimental basis for promoting the application of BXXXT.METHODS The aqueous extract of BXXXT was gained by water decocting method.The inhibitory effect of the aqueous extract on H.pylori was detected by dilution in vitro;drug-resistant H.pylori cells were used to build an acute gastritis model in vivo.Thereafter,the model mice were treated with the aqueous extract of BXXXT.The amount of H.pylori colonization,the repair of gastric mucosal damage,changes of inflammatory factors,apoptosis,etc.,were assessed.In terms of mechanism exploration,the main medicinal compositions of BXXXT aqueous extract and the synergistic bacteriostatic effects they had demonstrated were analyzed using mass spectrometry;the immune function of peripheral blood cells such as CD3+T and CD4+T of mice with gastritis before and after treatment with BXXXT aqueous extract was detected using a flow cytometry;the H.pylori transcriptome and proteome after treatment with BXXXT aqueous extract were detected.Differently expressed genes were screened and verification was performed thereon with knockout expression.RESULTS The minimum inhibitory concentration of BXXXT aqueous extract against H.pylori was 256-512μg/mL.A dose of 28 mg/kg BXXXT aqueous extract treatment produced better therapeutical effects than the standard triple therapy did;the BXXXT aqueous extract have at least 11 ingredients inhibiting H.pylori,including berberine,quercetin,baicalin,luteolin,gallic acid,rosmarinic acid,aloe emodin,etc.,of which berberine,aloe emodin,luteolin and gallic acid have a synergistic effect;BXXXT aqueous extract was found to stimulate the expressions of CD3+T and CD4+T and increase the number of CD4+T/CD8+T in gastritis mice;the detection of transcriptome and proteome,quantitative polymerase chain reaction,Western blotting and knockout verification revealed that the main targets of BXXXT aqueous extract are CFAs related to urea enzymes,and CagA,VacA,etc.CONCLUSION BXXXT aqueous extract could demonstrate good therapeutic effects on drug-resistance H.pylori in vitro and in vivo and its mechanism comes down to the synergistic or additional antibacterial effects of berberine,emodin and luteolin,the main components of the extract;the extract could activate the immune function and enhance bactericidal effects;BXXXT aqueous extract,with main targets of BXXXT aqueous extract related to urease,virulence factors,etc.,could reduce the urease and virulence of H.pylori,weaken its colonization,and reduce its inflammatory damage to the gastric mucosa.

<i>Lactobacillus</i>GG Supplementation on Anti-<i>Helicobacter pylori</i>Therapy-Related Side Effects and Eradication Rates: A Meta-Analysis

Background: Concerns still exist with respect to unsatisfactory eradication rates and/or therapy-associated side effects for the use of standard triple therapy in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection, which prompts considerable interest in new therapy. We systematically reviewed the literature to investigate whether Lactobacillus GG as supplementation to standard triple therapy could improve H. pylori eradication rates and/or reduce therapy-associated side effects. Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) were systematically searched from their inception to August 4, 2015 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The language was restricted to English only. Results: Four RCTs involving a total of 305 participants (including 83 children) were included. Lactobacillus GG given along with triple therapy significantly reduced the risk of overall H. pylori therapy-related adverse effects (three RCTs, n = 221, RR 0.59, 95% CI 0.45 - 0.78), particularly of diarrhea (four RCTs, n = 285, RR 0.23, 95% CI 0.11 - 0.47), bloating (four RCTs, n = 289, RR 0.61, 95% CI 0.41 - 0.90), and taste disturbance (four RCTs, n = 288, RR 0.38, 95% CI 0.23 - 0.62). There were no significant differences between groups in the risk of other adverse effects. No beneficial effects of Lactobacillus GG were observed for H. pylori eradication rates (four RCTs, n = 284, RR 0.99, 95% CI 0.88 - 1.13). Conclusion: Current evidence indicates that Lactobacillus GG administered along with standard triple therapy is a feasible way to reduce therapy-related side effects, particularly diarrhea, bloating, and taste disturbance. However, Lactobacillus GG shows no effects on eradication rates.

Helicobacter pylori infection and drugs malabsorption

Drug absorption represents an important factor affecting the efficacy of oral drug treatment.Gastric secretion and motility seem to be critical for drug absorption.A causal relationship between impaired absorption of orally administered drugs and Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)infection has been proposed.Associations have been reported between poor bioavailability of l-thyroxine and l-dopa and H.pylori infection.According to the Maastricht Florence Consensus Report on the management of H.pylori infection,H.pylori treatment improves the bioavailability of both these drugs,whereas the direct clinical benefits to patients still await to be established.Less strong seems the association between H.pylori infection and other drugs malabsorption,such as delavirdine and ketoconazole.The exact mechanisms forming the basis of the relationship between H.pylori infection and impaired drugs absorption and/or bioavailability are not fully elucidated.H.pylori infection may trigger a chronic inflammation of the gastric mucosa,and impaired gastric acid secretion often follows.The reduction of acid secretion closely relates with the wideness and the severity of the damage and may affect drug absorption.This minireview focuses on the evidence of H.pylori infection associated with impaired drug absorption.

Interaction between Helicobacter pylori infection, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and/or low-dose aspirin use: Old question new insights

Previous reports clearly demonstrated that Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)infection,nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAID)or low dose aspirin(ASA)use significantly and independently increased the risk for the development of peptic ulcer disease.Today,the presence of H.pylori infection associated with low dose ASA and/or NSAID use in the same patient is becoming more frequent and therefore the potential interaction between these factors and the consequences of it has important implications.Whether NSAID intake in the presence of H.pylori infection may further increase the risk of peptic ulcer carried by the presence of only one risk factor is still a matter of debate.Studies on the interaction between the two risk factors yielded conflicting data and no consensus has been reached in the last years.In addition,the interaction between H.pylori infection and low-dose ASA remains even more controversial.In real clinical practice,we can find different clinical scenarios involving these three factors associated with the presence of different gastrointestinal and cardiovascular risk factors.These huge variety of possible combinations greatly hinder the decision making process of physicians.

Helicobacter pylori-negative,non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug:Negative idiopathic ulcers in Asia

Since the discovery of Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)infection in the stomach,the bacteria infection and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs)use had been considered to be the 2 main causes of peptic ulcers.However,there have been recent reports of an increase in the proportion of peptic ulcers without these known risk factors;these are termed idiopathic peptic ulcers.Such trend was firstly indicated in 1990s from some reports in North America.In Asia,numerous studies reported that idiopathic ulcers accounted for a small percentage of all ulcers in the 1990s,but in the2000s,multiple studies reported that the proportion of idiopathic ulcers had reached 10%-30%,indicating that the incidence of idiopathic ulcers in Asia has also been rising in recent years.While a decline in H.pylori infection rates of general population in Asia is seen as the main reason for the increased incidence of idiopathic ulcers,it is also possible that the absolute number of idiopathic ulcer cases has increased.Advanced age,serious systemic complication,and psychological stress are considered to be the potential risk factors for idiopathic ulcers.Management of idiopathic ulcers is challenging,at present,because there is no effective preventative measure against recurrence in contrast with cases of H.pylori-positive ulcers and NSAIDs-induced ulcers.As it is expected that H.pylori infection rates in Asia will decline further in the future,measures to treat idiopathic ulcers will also likely become more important.

Helicobacter pylori infection in bleeding peptic ulcer patients after non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug consumption

AIM： TO establish the prevalence of He/icobacterpy/on （H. pylori） infection in patients with a bleeding peptic ulcer after consumption of non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs （NSAIDs）.METHODS： A very early upper endoscopy was performed to find the source of upper gastrointestinal bleeding and to take biopsy specimens for analysis of H. pylori infection by the rapid urease （CLO） test, his- tological examination, and bacterial culture. TgG anti- CagA were also sought. The gold standard for identifying H. pylori infection was positive culture of biopsy specimens or contemporary positivity of the CLO test and the presence of H. pylori on tissue sections.RESULTS： Eighty patients, 61 males （76.3%）, mean age 61.2 ~ 15.9 years, were consecutively enrolled. Forty-seven （58.8%） patients occasionally consumed NSAIDs, while 33 （41.3%） were on chronic treatment with low-dose aspirin （LD ASA）. Forty-four （55.0%） patients were considered infected by H. pylori. The infection rate was not different between patients who occasionally or chronically consumed NSAIDs. The culture of biopsy specimens had a sensitivity of 86.4% and a specificity of 100%; corresponding figures for histological analysis were 65.9% and 77.8%, for the CLO test were 68.2% and 75%, for the combined use of histology and the CLO test were 56.8% and 100%, and for IgG anti-CagA were 90% and 98%. The high- est accuracy （92.5%） was obtained with the culture of biopsy specimens.CONCLUSION： Patients with a bleeding peptic ulcer after NSAID/LD ASA consumption frequently have H. pylori infection. Biopsy specimen culture after an early upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopy seems the most efficient test to detect this infection.

Clinical characteristics of Helicobacter pylori-negative drugnegative peptic ulcer bleeding

AIM:To investigate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of idiopathic Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)-negative and drug-negative]peptic ulcer bleeding(PUB).METHODS:A consecutive series of patients who experienced PUB between 2006 and 2012 was retrospectively analyzed.A total of 232 patients were enrolled in this study.The patients were divided into four groups according to the etiologies of PUB:idiopathic,H.pylori-associated,drug-induced and combined(H.pylori-associated and drug-induced)types.We compared the clinical characteristics and outcomes between the groups.When the silver stain or rapid urease tests were H.pylori-negative,we obtained an additional biopsy specimen by endoscopic re-examination and performed an H.pylori antibody test 6-8 wk after the initial endoscopic examination.For a diagnosis of idiopathic PUB,a negative result of an H.pylori antibody test was confirmed.In all cases,re-bleeding was confirmed by endoscopic examination.For the risk assessment,the Blatchford and the Rockall scores were calculated for all patients.RESULTS:For PUB,the frequency of H.pylori infection was 59.5%(138/232),whereas the frequency of idiopathic cases was 8.6%(20/232).When idiopathic PUB was compared to H.pylori-associated PUB,the idiopathic PUB group showed a higher rate of rebleeding after initial hemostasis during the hospital stay(30%vs 7.4%,P = 0.02).When idiopathic PUB was compared to drug-induced PUB,the patients in the idiopathic PUB group showed a higher rate of rebleeding after initial hemostasis upon admission(30%vs 2.7%,P < 0.01).When drug-induced PUB was compared to H.pylori-associated PUB,the patients in the drug-induced PUB were older(68.49 ± 14.76 years vs 47.83 ± 15.15 years,P< 0.01) and showed a higher proportion of gastric ulcer(77%vs 49%,P < 0.01).However,the Blatchford and the Rockall scores were not significantly different between the two groups.Among the patients who experienced drug-induced PUB,no significant differences were found with respect to clinical characteristics,irrespective of H.pylori infection.CONCLUSION:Idiopathic PUB has unique clinical characteristics such as re-bleeding after initial hemostasis upon admission.Therefore,these patients need to undergo close surveillance upon admission.

Standard triple therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection in China: A meta-analysis

AIM: To assess the efficacy and safety of standard triple therapy compared with other pre-existing and new therapies in China.

Outcomes of furazolidone-and amoxicillin-based quadruple therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection and predictors of failed eradication

AIM To evaluate the outcomes of furazolidone-and amoxicillin-based quadruple therapy for treatment of Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori) infection and identify predictors of failed eradication.METHODS Patients with H. pylori infection treated with furazolidone, amoxicillin, bismuth, and proton pump inhibitor therapy(January 2015 to December 2015) who received the ^(13)C-urea breath test > 4 wk after treatment were evaluated. Demographic and clinical data including prior H. pylori treatment attempts, medication adherence, alcohol and cigarette consumption during therapy, and treatment-related adverse events were recorded by reviewing medical records and telephone surveys. H. pylori eradication rates for overall and subgroups were evaluated. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of failed H. pylori eradication.RESULTS Of the 992 patients treated and retested for H. pylori infection, the overall eradication rate was 94.5% [95% confidence interval(CI): 94.1%-95.9%]. H. pylori eradication rate of primary therapy was 95.0%(95%CI: 93.5%-96.5%), while that of rescue therapy was 91.3%(95%CI: 86.8%-95.8%). Among the 859 patients who completed the study protocol, 144(17%) reported treatment-related adverse events including 24(3%) leading to premature discontinuation. On multivariate analysis, poor medication adherence [adjusted odds ratio(AOR) = 6.7, 95%CI: 2.8-15.8], two or more previous H. pylori treatments(AOR = 7.4, 95%CI: 2.2-24.9), alcohol consumption during therapy(AOR = 4.4, 95%CI: 1.5-12.3), and possibly smoking during therapy(AOR = 1.9, 95%CI: 0.9-4.3) were associated with failed H. pylori eradication. CONCLUSION Furazolidone-and amoxicillin-based quadruple therapy for H. pylori infection in an area with a high prevalence of clarithromycin resistance demonstrated high eradication rates as primary and rescue therapies with a favorable safety profile. Patient education targeting abstinence from alcohol during therapy and strict medication adherence may further optimize H. pylori eradication.

Helicobacter pylori acquisition of metronidazole resistance by natural transformation in vitro

AIM To study whether Helicobacter pylori is naturally transformable. METHODS Transformation was performed in BHI broth supplemented with horse serum and yeast extract. Genomic DNA extracted from a metronidazole resistant H. pylori strain was added to H. pylori broth culture. The mixture was incubated at microaerophilic atmosphere. The DNA treated cells were plated on blood agar containing 8mg/L metronidazole to select for transformants. Sterile distilled water was used as a negative DNA control. The DNA profiles of transformants were compared with that of their parent strains by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fingerprinting. RESULTS Transformation of H. pylori with DNA from a metronidazole resistant strain as a marker was demonstrated. Out of the 12 strains of H. pylori tested, 9 (75%) strains were found to be transformable. The transformation frequencies ranged from 3 4×10 -6 to 2 4×10 -4 . By RAPD, DNA fingerprints of the transformants and their parent strains showed no change in DNA profiles though transformants were all resistant to metronidazole as compared with their metronidazole sensitive parent strains. CONCLUSION Helicobacter pylori is naturally transformable which might be one of the ways that H. pylori develops resistance to metronidazole.

Concomitant therapy achieved the best eradication rate for Helicobacter pylori among various treatment strategies

AIM: To compare the Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori) eradication rate of clarithromycin-based triple therapy,metronidazole-based triple therapy,sequential therapy and concomitant therapy.METHODS: A total of 680 patients infected with H.pylori were divided into 4 groups and each group was treated with a different eradication therapy.Clarithromycin-based triple therapy was applied to the first group [rabeprazole,amoxicillin and clarithromycin(PAC) group: proton pump inhibitor(PPI),amoxicillin,clarithromycin],whereas the second group was treated with metronidazole-based triple therapy [rabeprazole,amoxicillin and metronidazole(PAM) group: PPI,amoxicillin,metronidazole].The third group was treated with rabeprazole and amoxicillin,followed by rabeprazole,clarithromycin and metronidazole(sequential group).The final group was simultaneously treated with rabeprazole,amoxicillin clarithromycin and metronidazole(concomitant therapy group).In the case of a failure to eradicate H.pylori,second-line quadruple and third-line eradication therapies were administered.RESULTS: The per protocol(PP) analysis was performed on 143,139,141 and 143 patients in the PAC,PAM,sequential and concomitant groups,respectively.We excluded patients who did not receive a C13-urea breath test(22,20,23 and 22 patients,respectively) and patients with less than an 80% compliance level(5,11,6 and 5 patients,respectively).The eradication rates were 76.2%(109/143) in the PAC group,84.2%(117/139) in the PAM group,84.4%(119/141) in the sequential group and 94.4%(135/143) in the concomitant group(P = 0.0002).All 14 patients who failed second-line therapy were treated with thirdline eradication therapy.Among these 14 patients,6 infections were successfully eradicated with the thirdline therapy.Both PP and intention-to-treat analysis showed an eradication rate of 42.9%(6/14).In the PAC group,3 of 4 patients were successfully cured(3/4,75%); 2 of 2 patients in the PAM group(2/2,100%) and 1 of 5 patients in the sequential group(1/5,20%) were also cured.In the concomitant group,all 3 patients failed(0/3,0%).CONCLUSION: The eradication rate for the concomitant therapy was much higher than those of the standard triple therapy or sequential therapy(Clinical Trials.gov number NCT01922765).

Age-dependent eradication of Helicobacter pylori in Japanese patients

AIM:To determine the general risk factors affecting the failure rate of first-line eradication therapy in Japanese patients with Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)infection.METHODS:The present study enrolled 253 patients who had an H.pylori infection,underwent gastroendoscopy,and were treated with H.pylori eradication therapy.Eradication therapy consisted of 30 mg lansoprazole plus 750 mg amoxicillin and 400 mg clarithromycin twice daily for 7 d.All of the patients underwent a 13 C urea breath test at least 1 mo after the completion of eradication therapy.The current study investigated the independent factors associated with successful H.pylori eradication using a multiple logistic regression analysis.RESULTS:The overall success rate in the patients was 85.8%.Among the general factors examined in the multivariate analyses,only having an age less than 50 years was found to be significantly associated with a poor response to H.pylori eradication.Moreover,side effects were the only clinical factors in the patients who were under 50 years of age that significantly influenced the poor response to H.pylori eradication.CONCLUSION:H.pylori-positive elderly patients should undergo eradication therapy.In addition,it is necessary to improve H.pylori eradication therapy in younger patients.

A systematic review of treating Helicobacter pylori infection with Traditional Chinese Medicine

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) infection. METHODS: We electronically and manually searched electronic databases, references lists and conferences compilations, and included all randomized clinical trials comparing the treatment of H pylori using TCM with proton pump inhibitor or colloidal bismuth subcitratebased triple therapy as controls. The Jadad score was used to assess trial quality, H pylori eradication rate and the incidence of side effects were taken as outcome measurements, and heterogeneity analysis, meta-analysis and funnel plot analysis were conducted. RESULTS: Sixteen trials were included. The Jadad scores of all the trials were not more than 2. Clinical heterogeneity and substantial statistical heterogeneity existed among the trials (P = 0.001, I 2 = 59%) and meta-analysis was not conducted. The average eradication rates following TCM and triple therapy were 72% and 78% and the incidence of side effects were 2% and 29%, respectively. The funnel plot was obviously asymmetric. CONCLUSION: Available evidence is not convincing enough to show that TCM has the same efficacy as triple therapy in H pylori treatment. TCM may be safer than triple therapy. TCM should not be recommended as monotherapy in H pylori infection.

Molecular mimicry in Helicobacter pylori infections

Gram-negative bacteria Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori) colonize gastric mucosa in humans and increase the risk of serious diseases such as gastric and duodenal ulcers, stomach cancers and mucosa associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. The role of H. pylori infection in the pathogenesis of several extragastric diseases has been suggested including immune thrombocytopenic purpura, iron deficiency anemia, vitamin D deficiency, cardiovascular diseases,diabetes mellitus and dermatological disorders. Also neurological diseases and even lung cancer have attracted researchers concern. The relation between H. pylori infection and a growth retardation in children has also been suggested. Many mechanisms of molecular mimicry between H. pylori and the host have been proposed as a pathogen strategy to manipulate the immune system of the host in order to remain unrecognized and avoid eradication. A lot of effort has been put into the demonstration of homologous sequences between H. pylori and host compounds. However, knowledge about how often autoantibodies or autoreactive T lymphocytes induced during H. pylori infections cause pathological disorders is insufficient. This review provides data on H. pylori antigenic mimicry and possible deleterious effects due to the induction of immune response to the components common to these bacteria and the host.

Attempts to enhance the eradication rate of helicobacter pylori infection

Increasing rates of antimicrobial resistance to clarithromycin and metronidazole present challenges in maintaining optimal eradication rates.Knowledge of local antibiotic resistance and consumption pattern is important in selecting a reliable regimen.In addition,adverse effect profiles of therapeutic regimens are important and must be addressed to enhance compliance rates.Various methods of enhancing the eradication rates of Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)have been investigated,including changing combinations or durations of established drugs,adding adjuvant drugs,or development of new molecules or agents.Bismuth-containing quadruple,sequential,concomitant,and levofloxacin-based triple therapies are replacing the long-standing standard of the triple regimen.Despite the encouraging results of these regimens,individualized approaches like treatment after antibiotics resistance test or CYP2C19genotyping would be the mainstream of future therapy.Because scientific,economic,and technical problems make these advance therapies unfit for widespread use,future development for H.pylori therapy should be directed to overcome individualized antibiotic resistance.Although various novel regimens and additive agents have indicated favorable outcomes,more studies or validations are needed to become a mainstream H.pylori therapy.

Antibiotics resistance rate of Helicobacter pylori in Bhutan

AIM:To survey the antibiotic resistance pattern of Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)strains isolated from Bhutanese population.METHODS:We isolated 111 H.pylori strains from the gastric mucosa of H.pylori-infected patients in Bhutan in 2010.The Epsilometer test was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations(MICs)of amoxicillin(AMX),clarithromycin(CLR),metronidazole(MNZ),levofloxacin(LVX),ciprofloxacin(CIP),and tetracycline(TET).RESULTS:Nineteen of the isolated H.pylori strains were susceptible to all antibiotics tested.The isolated strains showed the highest rate of antibiotic resistance to MNZ(92/111,82.9%).Among the 92 MNZresistant strains,74 strains(80.4%)showed high-level resistance(MIC≥256 g/mL).Three strains were resistance to LVX(2.7%).These strains were also resistance to CIP.None of the strains showed resistance to CLR,AMX and TET.CONCLUSION:CLR-based triple therapy is a more effective treatment approach over MNZ-based triple therapy for H.pylori infection in Bhutan.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus affects eradication rate of Helicobacter pylori

AIM: To study the eradication rate of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) in a group of type 2 diabetes and compared it with an age and sex matched non-diabetic group.METHODS: 40 diabetic patients (21 females, 19 males;56±7 years) and 40 non-diabetic dyspeptic patients (20females, 20 males; 54±9 years) were evaluated. Diabetic patients with dyspeptic complaints were referred for upper gastrointestinal endoscopies; 2 corpus and 2 antral gastric biopsy specimens were performed on each patient. Patients with positive Hp results on histopathological examination comprised the study group. Non-diabetic dyspeptic patients seen at the Gastroenterology Outpatient Clinic and with the same biopsy and treatment protocol formed the control group.A triple therapy with amoxycillin (1 g b.i.d), clarithromycin (500 mg b.i.d) and omeprazole (20 mg b.i.d.) was given to both groups for 10 days. Cure was defined as the absence of Hp infection assessed by corpus and antrum biopsies in control upper gastrointestinal endoscopies performed 6weeks after completing the antimicrobial therapy.RESULTS: The eradication rate was 50 % in the diabetic group versus 85 % in the non-diabetic control group (P＜0.001).CONCLUSION: Type 2 diabetic patients showed a significantly lower eradication rate than controls which may be due to changes in microvasculature of the stomach and to frequent antibiotic usage because of recurrent bacterial infections with the development of resistant strains.