Detection of clarithromycin-resistant Helicobacter pylori by polymerase chain reaction using residual samples from...

Approximately 50% of the world population is infected with Helicobacter pylori, which corresponds to a high infection rate. Furthermore, the incidence of antibiotic-resistant H. pylori has increased with the recent rise in use of antibiotics for H. pylori elimination, suggesting growing treatment failures.

The study was aimed to assess the use of residual samples from rapid urease test (RUT) for biomolecular testing as an effective and accurate method to detect antibiotic-resistant H. pylori.

This study was a retrospective study performed using data obtained from medical records of previously isolated H. pylori strains.

RUT was conducted for 5440 biopsy samples from individuals who underwent health examination in South Korea. Subsequently, 469 RUT residual samples were randomly selected and subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect antibiotic-resistant H. pylori.

The Chi-square test was used to analyse categorical data. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

The results showed a concordance between the results of PCR and conventional RUT in 450 of 469 samples, suggesting that the H. pylori PCR test is a time- and cost-effective detection method.

This study demonstrated that PCR test can aid physicians to prescribe the appropriate antibiotics at the time of diagnosis, thus preventing the reduction in H. pylori eradication due to antibiotic resistance, averting progression to serious diseases and increasing the treatment success rate.