Suppression of gastric urease activity by antacids

Campylobacter pylori (CP) infection among healthy employees at the section of gastroenterology was studied by means of the carbon-14 urea breath test. Fourteen of 46 individuals (30.4%) were infected with Campylobacter pylori (CP+). Eleven CP+ individuals were treated with a low-dose regimen of antacids (four tablets a day) for 2 weeks. The 14C recovery dropped from 8.36 +/- 1.26% before treatment to 5.70 +/- 1.24% (p = 0.023) approximately 12 h after the last intake of antacids, a 31.8% reduction, indicating suppression but no eradication of the C. pylori infection. A new breath test 2 weeks after cessation of treatment indicated that the suppressive effect of antacid on C. pylori infection was short-lived.