Correlation between serum pepsinogen levels and gastric mucosal histological findings before and after Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy

Susceptibilities to clarithromycin, amoxycillin and metronidazole of Helicobacter pylori isolates from the antrum and corpus in Tokyo, Japan, 1995-2001

The aim of this study was to determine the susceptibilities to clarithromycin, amoxycillin and metronidazole of Helicobacter pylori isolates from the antrum and corpus of Japanese patients examined during the period 1995-2001. There was an increase, from 6.2% in 1995 to 22.1% in 2000-2001, in the proportion of patients infected with clarithromycin-resistant H. pylori. Of patients infected with clarithromycin-resistant H. pylori, 39.1% were infected with both clarithromycin-susceptible and -resistant H. pylori. Furthermore, the MIC90 of clarithromycin for H. pylori rose from < 1 mg/L in 1995-1998 to 8 mg/L in 1999. In contrast, the MIC90s of amoxycillin and metronidazole were < or = 0.125 and 4 mg/L, respectively, throughout the study period. The results showed that, while most H. pylori isolates were susceptible to amoxycillin and metronidazole, resistance to clarithromycin among H. pylori isolates increased markedly in Japan during 1995-2001. The results also indicated a need to test the susceptibility of H. pylori isolates from more than two samples obtained from two different sites in the stomach of a single patient in order to diagnose the presence of clarithromycin-resistant H. pylori correctly.

13C-ethanol breath test reveals impaired alcohol metabolism in patients with Helicobacter pylori infection

BACKGROUND

The gastric mucosal alcohol dehydrogenase activity was reported to be reduced in subjects with Helicobacter pylori-associated chronic gastritis. However, the role of H. pylori infection in the metabolism of ingested ethanol has not been fully elucidated.

AIM

To clarify whether H. pylori infection exerts any influence on the metabolism of small amounts of ethanol in humans.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

13C-ethanol (100 microL) diluted in 100 mL water was administered orally to 22 healthy volunteers before breakfast. Breath samples were then collected every 10 min for up to 60 min. The content of 13CO2 (per thousand) was analysed using a mass-spectrometric method. The excretion rate of labelled CO2 was analysed by calculation of the following mathematical parameters, i.e., Tmax, Cmax, and AUC60.

RESULTS

In H. pylori-negative controls (n = 11), the Tmax, Cmax and AUC60 were 0.47 +/- 0.13, 19.1 +/- 6.0 and 13.7 +/- 4.5, respectively. The corresponding values were 0.53 +/- 0.16 (n.s.) and 12.7 +/- 4.8 (P < 0.05) and 9.0 +/- 3.6 (P < 0.05), respectively, in subjects with H. pylori infection (n = 11). Successful eradication of H. pylori was associated with significant increase of these parameters (Cmax)and AUC60, n = 6).

CONCLUSIONS

The metabolism of small amounts of ethanol is attenuated in subjects with H. pylori infection.