Antibiotic resistance profile of Helicobacter pylori to 14 antibiotics: a multicenter study in Fujian, China

PeerJ. 2023 Jul 11:11:e15611. doi: 10.7717/peerj.15611. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Background and aim: Efficacy of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication is related to the local antimicrobial resistance epidemiology. We aimed to investigate the antibiotic resistance of H. pylori in Fujian, China.

Methods: H. pylori-infected patients in four centers were enrolled in the study from Oct 2019 to Jan 2022. The bacteria were isolated, cultured and identified from the biopsy of patients' gastric mucosa samples. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by a modified broth microdilution method for H. pylori to seven guideline-recommended antibiotics and seven potential choices for H. pylori eradication.

Results: A total of 205 H. pylori strains were isolated. The resistance rates of amoxicillin (AMX), amoxicillin and clavulanate potassium (AMC), cefixime (CFM), gentamicin (GEN), tetracycline (TET), doxycycline (DOX), azithromycin (AZM), clarithromycin (CLR), levofloxacin (LVFX), sparfloxacin (SPFX), metronidazole (MTZ), tinidazole (TID), rifampicin (RFP) and furazolidone (FZD) were 11.22%, 12.20%, 7.32%, 12.20%, 4.88%, 4.39%, 44.39%, 43.90%, 30.24%, 21.46%, 40.98%, 45.85%, 5.37% and 10.24%, respectively. The rates of pan-sensitivity, single, double, triple and multiple resistance for seven guideline-recommended antibiotics were 32.68%, 30.24%, 13.17%, 7.76%, and 14.15%, respectively. The main double-resistance patterns were CLR+MTZ (10/205, 5%) and CLR+LVFX (9/205, 4%). The main triple-resistance pattern was CLR+MTZ+ LVFX (15/205, 7%).

Conclusions: In Fujian, the prevalence of H. pylori resistance to AZM, CLR, LVFX, SPFX, MTZ, and TID was high, whereas that to AMX, AMC, GEN, CFM, TET, DOX, RFP and FZD was relatively low. CFM and DOX are promising new choices for H. pylori eradication.

Keywords: Antibiotic resistance; China; Fujian; Helicobacter pylori; Multicenter study.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amoxicillin / pharmacology
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Cefixime / pharmacology
  • Clarithromycin / pharmacology
  • Doxycycline / pharmacology
  • Drug Resistance, Bacterial
  • Furazolidone / pharmacology
  • Helicobacter Infections* / drug therapy
  • Helicobacter pylori*
  • Humans
  • Levofloxacin / pharmacology
  • Metronidazole / pharmacology
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Tetracycline / pharmacology

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Metronidazole
  • Clarithromycin
  • Amoxicillin
  • Tetracycline
  • Furazolidone
  • Cefixime
  • Doxycycline
  • Levofloxacin

Grants and funding

This research was jointly supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province (Grant no. 2020J011087, 2022J01121025), the Medical Innovation Project of Fujian Provincial Health Commission (Grant no. 2020CXA006), the Zhuhai Science and Technology Project (Grant no. 20171009E030078), and the Startup Fund for Scientific Research of Fujian Medical University (Grant no. 2020QH1258). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.