Comparison of levofloxacin- and moxifloxacin-based triple therapies with standard treatment in eradication of Helicobacter pylori as first-line therapy

Update on quinolone-containing rescue therapies for Helicobacter pylori infection

Third generation of quinolones, such as levofloxacin and moxifloxacin, -containing regimens are often used in second-line or rescue treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection. However, the increasing antibiotic resistance to quinolones affects the efficacies of quinolones-containing therapies in recent years. Therefore, there is a need to enhance the effectiveness of quinolones-containing therapies. Sitafloxacin, a fourth-generation quinolone, and vonoprazan, a novel potassium-competitive acid blocker, are now available as more effective treatment options. The aim of this paper is to summarize the current evidence of quinolone-containing therapies in rescue treatments, and to discuss the importance of drug sensitivity tests or analysis of gyrA mutation before treatments.

Can the treatment duration be shortened in bismuth-containing therapies for Helicobacter pylori eradication?

BACKGROUND/AIMS

The duration of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication therapy as a range (e.g., 10-14 days) is an ignored problem. There is no any particular treatment duration described in current guidelines, and the conditions for when to use 10-day therapy vs. 14-day therapy have not been elucidated. The aim of this study is to determine an effective and reliable H. pylori treatment duration in clinical practice. There were four different treatment modalities administered to groups, and success rates were compared.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients were eligible to participate in the study if they had a biopsy-proven H. pylori infection. Each patient was randomly assigned to one of the four treatment groups according to a predetermined sequence: 14-day or 10-day bismuth-containing quadruple therapy (BQT) groups and 14-day or 10-day moxifloxacin-bismuth-combined treatment (MBCT) groups.

RESULTS

A total of 216 patients (54 per group) were enrolled. Two-hundred six patients (95.3%) completed therapy. There was no significant difference in the eradication rates between those patients who received 10- and 14-days BQT regimens (p=0.67). The 14-BQT protocol had the highest eradication rate, the MBCT regimes had the highest compliance, and the 10-MBCT protocol had the poorest results for H. pylori eradication. The posttreatment questionnaire on adverse effects identified nausea/vomiting as the most common side effect (35.7%).

CONCLUSION

Overall, the results of our study suggest that shortening the BQT protocol duration to 10 days does not weaken the H. pylori eradication rate. Moreover, quinolone-containing therapies with the lowest eradication rate among the groups should not be offered as a salvage treatment in case of the BQT failure.

Fourth-generation quinolones in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection: A meta-analysis

AIM

To assess the efficacy and safety of fourth-generation quinolones for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication, we conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

METHODS

Major literature databases (PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) were searched for relevant articles published prior to February 2018. We performed a meta-analysis of all randomized clinical trials that examined the efficacy of H. pylori eradication therapies and included fourth-generation quinolones in the experimental arm. Subgroup analyses by regions and different types of fourth-generation quinolones were also performed.

RESULTS

Ten studies including a total of 2198 patients were assessed. A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials showed that the eradication rate of therapies containing non-fourth-generation quinolones was significantly lower than that of therapies containing fourth-generation quinolones by intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis [75.4% vs 81.8%; odds ratio (OR) = 0.661; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.447-0.977; P = 0.038]. This analysis also showed that the eradication rate of the therapies containing non-fourth-generation quinolones was inferior to that of therapies containing fourth-generation quinolones by per-protocol analysis (79.1% vs 84.7%; OR = 0.663; 95%CI: 0.433-1.016; P = 0.059). Moreover, the occurrence of side effects was significantly different between the control and experimental groups by ITT analysis (30.6% vs 19.5%; OR = 1.874; 95%CI: 1.120-3.137; P = 0.017). The sub-analyses also showed significant differences in moxifloxacin therapies vs other fourth-generation quinolone therapies (84.3% vs 71.9%) and in Asian vs European groups (76.7% vs 89.1%).

CONCLUSION

Therapies containing fourth-generation quinolones achieved a poor eradication rate in the treatment of H. pylori infection. Such regimens might be useful as a rescue treatment based on antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Different antibiotics should be chosen in different regions.

Helicobacter pylori treatment: Still a work in progress

Helicobacter pylori is a common worldwide bacterium, possessing adaptability that has created difficulty achieving eradication. While the standard treatment was thought to be triple therapy with a proton pump inhibitor, amoxicillin, and clarithromycin, growing rates of treatment failure and antibiotic resistance have stimulated research into novel regimens. Quadruple therapy with bismuth has been compared for both first- and second-line treatments, but eradication still has not reached expected goals. Innovative regimens including sequential and concomitant therapy, as well as the introduction of new antibiotics into previous treatment schedules, have shown promising improvements in eradication rates. We discuss and compare these unique regimens, reviewing the current literature to deduce those which are most likely to provide the highest success in curing H. pylori infection.

Treatment of Helicobacter pylori Infection 2015

Many interesting articles have been published from many parts of the world over the last year assessing different issues around Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy. This article will address the published literature over the last year pertaining to the topic of treatment of H. pylori infection. The main themes that emerge are assessing the efficacy of standard triple therapy, as well as exploring new first-line treatments, mainly optimized nonbismuth- and bismuth-containing quadruple therapies with some promising data also emerging on dual therapy. There was also considerable progress in investigating antibiotic resistance rates with much more data emerging from varied parts of the world compared to recent years. There have also been advances in the use of adjunctive therapies, especially probiotic therapies. Undoubtedly, the eradication of H. pylori remains a worthwhile goal to alleviate the burden of diseases caused by the complications of this infection, including dyspepsia, peptic ulcer disease, and gastric cancer.