The potential impact of Campylobacter pylori on the treatment of duodenal ulcer disease

Acid secretory changes and early relapse following duodenal ulcer healing with ranitidine or sucralfate

Controversial aspects relating to acid secretory changes following duodenal ulcer healing, and the effect of histamine-2 (H2)-receptor blockers on such changes are discussed. Recent studies comparing the effects of ranitidine or sucralfate on changes in the acid secretory responses in the healing of duodenal ulcers are described, and the relevance of these changes to early relapse considered. The duration of therapy and timing of acid-secretory studies and endoscopies are standardized in all studies, but the acid-secretory parameters vary. These comprised acid secretory responses to graded doses of an intravenous infusion of pentagastrin or histamine, sham-feeding responses, and basal and nocturnal acid secretion. In all studies, healing with sucralfate was associated with a significant decrease in the various parameters of acid secretion. In the ranitidine-healed groups, no appreciable decrease was noted and there was, indeed, a significant increase in nocturnal acid secretion. Routine endoscopies performed 4-6 weeks after documented ulcer healing showed a recurrence of 3 of the 32 (9%) sucralfate-healed and in 14 of the 35 (40%) ranitidine-healed ulcers. Increased acid secretory responsiveness following duodenal ulcer healing was strongly correlated with subsequent early relapse.

Medical treatment of duodenal ulcer: acid inhibition or Helicobacter pylori eradication?

To ascertain whether acid inhibition or Helicobacter pylori (HP) colonization is the decisive factor in the healing of duodenal ulcer, we treated 54 patients with famotidine and carried out long-term follow-up. Helicobacter pylori colonization was found in 70.4% of patients before treatment. There were no differences in the pre-treatment characteristics between patients with HP positive or HP negative ulcers. The 4-week and 8-week healing rates after famotidine treatment were 72.5% and 82.4% respectively. No difference in HP colonization was found between patients with ulcer healed and those with ulcer not healed (78.4% vs 64.3% at 4th week and 77.3% vs 71.4% at 8th week, P greater than 0.05). In patients with ulcer healed at 4th week, the intragastric pH was raised significantly and the antral acute inflammation was less severe than those with ulcer not healed. Ulcer recurrence was found in 76.9% of patients within 1 year, but there was no difference in ulcer recurrence between the patients with positive or negative HP colonization at the time of ulcer healing. Our results suggest that duodenal ulcer healing and recurrence are closely related to acid inhibition rather than to HP colonization.

Helicobacter pylori, causation, change in natural history, and why Helicobacter-positive duodenal ulcers should not be routinely treated

The relationship between Helicobacter pylori and duodenal ulcer is reviewed with regard to the following epidemiologic issues: causation, change in natural history, and whether there is sufficient evidence to treat H. pylori-positive peptic ulcers routinely. There is mounting evidence for a pivotal role of H. pylori as a precipitating cause of duodenal ulcers. There is insufficient data to conclude that eradication of H. pylori alone will cure peptic ulcer disease--that is, preventing instead of controlling relapse. H. pylori-positive duodenal ulcers should not be routinely treated because eradication rates need to be improved, metronidazole resistance is an increasing problem, and side-effects of currently used triple combination treatments are substantial.

Maintenance of duodenal ulcer healing by antacids

Three studies have investigated the ability of long-term antacid treatment to prevent duodenal ulcer relapse. The first of these, more than 30 years ago, showed that antacids could reduce recurrence or persistence of symptoms when compared with placebo. There are two studies from the 'modern era' of fibreoptic endoscopy and H2-reception antagonists. The Milan study found antacid (one tablet four times daily), cimetidine (400 mg at night), or a combination of the two, to be approximately equally effective in the prevention of relapse. The international study found antacid (three tablets three times daily) to be as effective as cimetidine (400 mg at night) and to be better than placebo for maintenance purposes. Antacid, three tablets at night had intermediate efficacy.