Efficacy of Lactoferrin with Standard Triple Therapy or Sequential Therapy for Helicobacter pylori Eradication: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND

Bovine lactoferrin addition to regimens of Helicobacter pylori treatment has been tried, with conflicting results.

AIM: To assess the effect of bovine lactoferrin in addition to the anti-H. pylori treatment.

METHODS

We enrolled 400 H. pylori-infected patients who were randomized into 4 equal groups: (A): proton-pump-based triple therapy (PpTT) for 2 weeks, (B): sequential therapy for 2 weeks, (C): proton-pump-based triple therapy plus bovine lactoferrin for 2 weeks, and (D): sequential therapy plus bovine lactoferrin for 2 weeks.

RESULTS

In the per-protocol analysis, the success in groups A, B, C, and D were 70.3%, 82.8%, 85.6%, and 94.5%, respectively (P < .001). The treatment success rate for the sequential therapy plus bovine lactoferrin regimen was significantly higher than that with sequential therapy alone (94.5% vs. 82.8%, P = .013). The same applied for proton-pump-based triple therapy (85.6% vs. 70.3%, P = .014). The addition of bovine lactoferrin and the presence of endoscopic corpus gastritis were independent predictors for successful eradication of H. pylori.

CONCLUSION

Bovine lactoferrin could hasten the effectiveness of the proton-pump-based triple therapy or sequential therapy for H. pylori eradication.