Endoscopic topical therapy for the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection

We modified a novel topical therapeutic method for the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection to increase its effectiveness and tolerability. Sixty-six patients (with nonulcer dyspepsia, inactive ulcer, or active ulcer) were given lansoprazole (30 mg, h.s.) and pronase (18,000 tyrosine units, b.i.d.) orally for 2 days before the topical therapy. One hundred milliliters of 7% sodium bicarbonate solution containing bismuth subnitrate, amoxicillin, metronidazole (at two different regimens), and pronase was instilled into the stomach through an endoscope. A double-lumen tube with a balloon at the tip was inserted into the duodenum along with the endoscope. The balloon was inflated with 25 ml of air and was lodged postbulbarly. The solution was kept in the stomach for 2 h, and the patient's position was changed every 15 min from the sitting to the supine, prone, and right lateral position, each position being maintained twice, to expose the entire gastric mucosa. The solution was aspirated at the end of the procedure. H. pylori infection was cured in 16/22 (72.7%) of patients with nonulcer dyspepsia, in 21/26 (80.7%) of patients with inactive ulcer, and in 1/18 (5.6%) patients with active ulcer. H. pylori eradication was confirmed 4 weeks after the therapeutic procedure by smear, culture, and histology of antral and corpus biopsy specimens. Side effects (loose stools) were observed in two patients only, and one patient had loss of appetite. These effects were transient. This endoscopic topical therapy for H. pylori infection is a safe, effective, and well tolerated procedure. With further modifications of the drug regimens and the method itself, this procedure could be of interest as anti-H. pylori therapy.