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Updated: Aug 17, 2026
Gastric Mucosa Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction Analysis for Detecting Helicobacter pylori and Antibiotic Resistance
Published on: March 7, 2025
High rate of Helicobacter pylori eradication with sequential therapy in elderly patients with peptic ulcer: a
A Zullo1, L Gatta, V De Francesco
1Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy, Nuovo Regina Margherita Hospital, Rome, Italy. zullo66@yahoo.it
Background:
Helicobacter pylori eradication rates with triple therapies are decreasing, and few data in elderly patients are available. A 10-day sequential regimen succeeded in curing such H. pylori infection in unselected patients.
Aim:
To compare this sequential regimen and the standard triple therapy for H. pylori eradication in geriatric patients with peptic ulcer.
Methods:
Overall, 179 H. pylori-infected patients with peptic ulcer were enrolled (mean age: 69.5 years; range: 65-83). Patients were randomized to 10-day sequential therapy (rabeprazole 20 mg b.d. plus amoxicillin 1 g b.d. for the first 5 days, followed by rabeprazole 20 mg, clarithromycin 500 mg and tinidazole 500 mg, all b.d., for the remaining 5 days) or standard 7-day triple regimen (rabeprazole 20 mg, clarithromycin 500 mg and amoxicillin 1 g, all b.d.). Helicobacter pylori status was assessed by histology and rapid urease test at baseline and 4-6 weeks after completion of treatment.
Results:
The sequential regimen achieved eradication rates significantly higher in comparison with the standard regimen at both intention-to-treat (94% vs. 80%; P = 0.008) and per-protocol (97% vs. 83%; P = 0.006) analyses. In both treatment groups, compliance to the therapy was high (> 95%), and the rate of mild side-effects was similarly low (< 12%). At repeated upper endoscopy, peptic ulcer lesions were healed in 97% patients, without a statistically significant difference between the sequential regimen and the standard triple therapy.
Conclusions:
In elderly patients with peptic ulcer disease, the 10-day sequential treatment regimen achieved significantly higher eradication rates in comparison with standard triple therapy.
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