Goals: To determine the susceptibility of Helicobacter pylori strains isolated from a Vietnamese population to 5 antibiotics.
Background: The incidence of antibiotic resistance in H. pylori infection is increasing worldwide and has become a leading cause for failure of treatment. Antibiotic susceptibility testing is very important to provide optimal regimens in a clinical setting.
Study: We isolated 103 H. pylori strains from the gastric mucosa of H. pylori-infected patients from 2 areas in Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi) in 2008. Epsilometer test was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations of amoxicillin, clarithromycin (CLR), metronidazole (MNZ), levofloxacin, and tetracycline.
Results: Among the 103 strains, the resistance rates were 0% (amoxicillin), 33% (CLR), 69.9% (MNZ), 18.4% (levofloxacin), and 5.8% (tetracycline). The resistant strains showed a high-level of resistance (≥ 256 µg/mL) to CLR, 23.5% (8/34), and MNZ, 29.1% (21/72). The resistance rate for CLR was significantly higher in Ho Chi Minh than in Hanoi (49% vs. 18.5%, P=0.001). Resistance to both CLR and MNZ was most commonly observed (24.3%). Two strains (1.9%) were resistant to 4 of the 5 antibiotics. No significant association was observed between antibiotic resistance rates and age, sex, or clinical outcomes of the patients.
Conclusions: High incidence of resistance to CLR and MNZ suggests that standard triple therapies may not be useful as first-line treatment in Vietnam. Alternative strategies such as bismuth-based quadruple therapies or sequential therapy may be more effective in Vietnam.