Comparison of one or two weeks of lansoprazole, amoxicillin, and clarithromycin in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori.

BACKGROUND

The simplest, most effective, and least expensive Helicobacter pylori therapy remains to be determined. Two weeks of 30 mg lansoprazole bid, 1 gm amoxicillin bid, and 500 mg clarithromycin bid (LAC2) had been shown to be an effective therapy for H. pylori. The aim of this study was to assess whether 1 week of this regimen (LAC1) would have a similar efficacy.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

H. pylori-positive patients assessed histologically, by rapid urease test, microbiologically, and by a 13C-urea breath test (13C-UBT) were randomized to receive either LAC1 or LAC2 in a single-center open study. Patients were interviewed 1 to 3 days after completion of therapy to evaluate adverse events and compliance. Efficacy was determined by 13C-UBT at least 4 weeks after antibiotic therapy.

RESULTS

Seventy evaluable patients were randomized to receive LAC1 (n = 33) LAC2 (n = 37). Of the 33 LAC1 patients, 30 (91%) were treated successfully (95% confidence interval (CI) = 76-98%), compared with 32 of 37 (86%) in the LAC2 group (95% CI = 71-96%). There was no difference in efficacy between the two groups (Fisher's exact test p = 1.0; 95% CI = -10.3%-19.2%). Patients taking LAC1 experienced significantly fewer severe adverse events than those taking LAC2 (Mann-Whitney U test). One of 64 patients had primary resistance to clarithromycin, and treatment was unsuccessful in this case. Six of the 7 remaining treatment failures developed secondary resistance to clarithromycin.

CONCLUSIONS

LAC1 is as effective as LAC2 and is associated with less toxicity. Posttreatment clarithromycin resistance is common in patients who do not experience success with therapy.