Review article: nitroimidazole resistance in Helicobacter pylori

The efficacy of a nitroimidazole-containing regimen for the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection is decreased by nitroimidazole resistance. Nitroimidazoles are meta- bolized by H. pylori by several nitro-reductases of which an oxygen-insensitive NADPH nitroreductase encoded by the rdxA gene is the most important. Null mutations in this gene are associated with resistance. Susceptibility testing to nitroimidazoles may give variable results. This is not only related to the slow growth under specific conditions, but also to variability in the activity of the other nitroreductases and the ability to deactivate toxic metabolites of an NI and to repair DNA damage. Moreover, co-infections with resistant and susceptible bacteria are frequently found. The presence of nitroimidazole resistance is related to the previous use of this drug. The prevalence of resistance is rising and nowadays 10-50% of the isolates are resistant. Resistance reduces the efficacy of a treatment regimen to a variable degree. This is related to efficacy of the other components of the regimen and the treatment duration. Whether a nitroimidazole is still effective in resistant strains remains unresolved. When nitroimidazole resistance is present, a nitro-imidazole-containing regimen should be avoided or a regimen with other highly effective components should be used.