Empiric “Three-in-One” Bismuth Quadruple Therapy for Second-Line Helicobacter pylori Eradication: An Intervention Study in Southern Italy

The eradication of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) may be difficult due to antibiotic resistance. Indeed, after one failure, a second-line therapy is needed and a bismuth containing quadruple therapy (BQT) with a three-in-one capsule formulation is becoming very popular. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate effectiveness and safety of BQT as a second-line therapy. We recruited consecutive patients with one therapy failure. For ten days patients received the three-in-one BQT Pylera® therapy, in combination with a proton-pump inhibitor (PPI), decided at the choice of the investigator, at full dose bid. The eradication rate was calculated by intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP)analyses and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Seventy-three patients were recruited, 41 females and 32 males (mean age 53.0±13.1 years). Fifty-five patients failed triple therapy with amoxicillin and clarithromycin and the remaining 18 received sequential therapy. Seventy-two patients consumed at least 90% of the capsules, while only one did not complete the therapy due to adverse events (nausea and diarrhea). By ITT analysis, BQT was successful in 62 subjects (eradication rate 84.9%, 95%CI 76.7–93.1%). By PP analysis, the eradication rate was 86.1% (95%CI 78.1–94.1%).Adverse events were observed in 14 subjects (20.5%).In conclusion, our report confirmed that BQT is effective as an empiric second-line regimen.

Helicobacter pylori eradication in renal transplant candidates

Introduction: Treatment for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is recommended in transplant candidates due to the association between this infection and gastrointestinal disorders, which could significantly increase morbidity after renal transplantation with the use of immunosuppression. The objective of this study was to analyze the rate of eradication of H. pylori after antimicrobial treatment in chronic kidney disease patients who are candidates for kidney transplantation. Methods: A multicenter prospective cohort study was conducted. All adult chronic kidney disease patients seen at our institution were included. In the pre-transplantation evaluation, 83 patients underwent an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with 2 diagnostic methods to detect H. pylori: histology and the rapid urease test. In total, 33 patients with H. pylori infection received treatment with 20 mg omeprazole, 500 mg amoxicillin, and 500 mg clarithromycin once daily for 14 days. Another upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was performed 8 to 12 weeks after the end of treatment to check for healing. Results: The study showed a prevalence of H. pylori in 51 (61.4%) patients. Histology was positive in 50 (98%) patients and the rapid urease test was positive in 31 (60.8%). The infection eradication rate was 48.5% (16 patients). Conclusions: There was a high prevalence rate of H. pylori and a low eradication rate after the long-term antimicrobial triple scheme used. The association of the rapid urease test with gastric mucosa histology did not increase the detection rate of H. pylori.

Fourteen-Day Sequential Therapy Containing Rabeprazole Versus 10 And 14-Day Concomitant Therapy in The First Line Treatment of Helicobacter Pylori Infection: A Randomized, Open-Label Clinical Trial

Aims:To compare an optimized sequential therapy to 10 and 14-day non-Bismuth quadruple therapies currently recommended, in terms of efficacy, incidence of adverse effects and cost.Patients and methods:This open-label prospective study randomized patients with confirmed Helicobacter pylori (H.Pylori) infection to 3 groups (1:1:1): The first group received quadruple therapy of twice-daily (bid) Omeprazole 20mg, Amoxicillin 1g, Clarithromycin 500mg and Metronidazole 500mg for 10days (QT-10), the second group received a 14 day quadruple therapy following the same regimen (QT-14), and the third received an optimized sequential therapy consisting on a bid Rabeprazole 20 mg plus amoxicillin 1g for 7 days, followed by bid Rabeprazole 20 mg, clarithromycin 500 mg and metronidazole 500mg for the next 7 days (OST-14). Adverse events (AEs) were recorded throughout the study, and the H.Pylori eradication rate was determined 4 to 6 weeks after treatment using the 13C urea breath test.Results:In intention to treat analysis, eradication rate was 85,5%, 91,8% and 95,4% respectively in QT-10, QT-14 and OST-14 groups (p=0,03). In the per protocol analysis, the eradication rate was significantly higher in the OST- 14 group compared to the QT-14 and QT-10 groups (98,1%, 94,4% and 89,5% respectively, p=0,02).The overall incidence of AEs was significantly lower in the OST-14 group (p=0,01). Furthermore, the OST-14 was the most cost-effective among the three groups.Conclusion:14-day optimized sequential therapy is a safe and effective alternative that allows a higher eradication rate compared to 10 and 14-days quadruple therapies while causing less adverse effects and allowing a gain in term of cost.

Efficacy of Lactobacillus reuteri Supplementation in Eradication of H. pylori: A Comparison Study with Triple Drug Therapy

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infections affect roughly one-half of the world’s population. Although many standard regimens, including triple-drug therapy, eradicate H. pylori, the success rate and efficacy have been declining due to associated side effects and symptom severity. The addition of probiotics to a standard regimen can considerably increase eradication rates. The objective is to find the efficacy of a probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri (L. reuteri) in eradicating human H. pylori infection and effect on symptoms regression and side effects associated with triple therapy. This prospective interventional study was conducted in 90 H. pylori-positive patients. 45 patients received standard triple treatment (group-I) for 14 days. Another 45 patients received a combination of standard triple therapy and L. reuteri (group-II) for 14 days. After the completion of treatment, H. pylori status was evaluated using a 13-C Urea-Breath Test (UBT). Each subject is interviewed with a validated Gastrointestinal Symptoms Rating Scale (GSRS) questionnaire to record symptoms and symptom severity before and after the therapy. Group-II patients showed a significantly higher eradication rate (86.67%) than group-I patients (66.67%). The absolute values of 13C-UBT (group-I: 14.02± 5.4, group-II: 11.9±3.73) revealed that a more substantial reduction in H. Pylori load was observed in group II. Statistical analysis proved that group II patients had a significant reduction in GSRS mean scores (baseline score: 15.39±4.52 to end score: 5.33±2.34) compared to group-I patients (baseline score: 14.47±3.67 to end score: 9.86±4.78). Addition of L. reuteri has reduced side effects associated with triple drug therapy except bloating. In conclusion, supplementation of L. reuteri to standard triple drug therapy significantly improved the eradication rate of H. pylori, reduced intensity of gastrointestinal symptoms and also treatment related side effects.

Long-term outcome of two-stage revision surgery after hip and knee prosthetic joint infections: an observational study

Introduction: Two-stage revision surgery is the most frequently performed procedure in patients with a chronic periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). The infection eradication rates in the current literature differ between 54 % and 100 %, which could be attributed to different treatment strategies. The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the infection eradication rate in patients with chronic PJI treated with two-stage revision surgery of the hip or knee in primary and re-revision cases. Methods: All patients treated with a two-stage revision for chronic PJI between 2005 and 2011 were analysed. Patient and infection characteristics were retrieved. Primary outcome was successful infection eradication at last follow-up. Successful eradication is specified as no need for subsequent revision surgery or suppressive antibiotic treatment. Results: Forty-seven patients were treated with a two-stage revision. Infection eradication was achieved in 36 out of 47 cases. Thirty-eight patients had positive cultures: 35 monomicrobial infections and 3 polymicrobial infections. Nine cases of culture-negative infections were identified. Accompanying eradication rates were 26 out of 35 cases, 2 out of 3 cases, and 8 out of 9 cases respectively. Mean follow-up was 128 (27–186) months. For hip and knee revisions the eradication rates were 22 out of 31 cases and 14 out of 16 cases respectively. After primary arthroplasty the infection was eradicated in 29 out of 38 cases and after re-revision in 7 out of 9 cases. Conclusion: In this study, the infection eradication rate for two-stage revision surgery after PJI of the hip and knee in primary and re-revision cases was 77 %. No statistically significant patient, infection and micro-organism characteristics were found which influence the infection eradication rates at long-term follow-up of 128 (27–186) months.

Effect of Statins on Helicobacter pylori Eradication Rate: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Statins have been used as adjuvants to standard treatment in order to increase the eradication rates<i></i>of<i> Helicobacter pylori</i> infection. This study aimed to summarize the results of the efficacy of adding statins to standard treatments used for the eradication<i></i>of<i> H. pylori</i> infection. We conducted a systematic search using a comprehensive combination of keywords in PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus to retrieve relevant studies from 1990 to 2020. The estimate of pooled relative risk (RR), as the effect measure, was calculated using random effects meta-analyses in Stata 14. We finally included 5 studies (all of them were randomized controlled trials). The meta-analysis of all studies showed that the pooled RR (95% confidence interval) was 1.03 (0.64–1.68) in the random effects model, which was not statistically significant. In other words, based on our meta-analysis, the addition of statins as an adjuvant therapy to the standard treatment regimens does not increase the rate of <i>H. pylori</i> eradication. However, further evidence is needed to confirm this result as the number of available studies was small.

EFFICACY OF PROBIOTICS IN HELICOBACTER PYLORI ERADICATION THERAPY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Helicobacter pylori is a Gram-negative bacillus that selectively colonizes the gastric epithelium. In most people, the infection is asymptomatic. However, it is considered the main cause of active chronic gastritis and plays an important role in peptic ulcer, as well as in the genesis of gastric adenocarcinoma and Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue (MALT) lymphoma. The aim of this systematic review study is to check the efcacy of probiotics in the H. pylori eradication therapy and a decrease in the treatment adverse effects. The most relevant studies in the MedLine databases via PubMed were reviewed, and only clinical trials in English were considered. The search strategy used the following combinations of keywords: (“Helicobacter pylori” OR “H. pylori”) AND probiotics. The following terms were used to identify the study designs: Clinical Trial, English. Ten articles were included in the scope of this review, showing controversies in the outcomes regarding the use of probiotics in the H. pylori eradication therapy, but with good efcacy in decreasing adverse symptoms. It can be concluded that there is still a lack of consistent scientic evidence for the use of probiotics in the H. pylori eradication therapy. However, the reviewed studies showed an improvement in the eradication rate when probiotics were combined with the therapy and a decrease in the treatment adverse effects

Ciclesonide Inhaler Treatment for Mild-to-Moderate COVID-19: A Randomized, Open-Label, Phase 2 Trial

Although some intravenous drugs have been used to treat coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), no effective antiviral agents are currently available in the outpatient setting. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and adverse events of 14-day ciclesonide treatment vs. standard care for patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19. A randomized, open-label, multicenter clinical trial of ciclesonide inhalers was conducted in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19. Patients were enrolled within 3 days of diagnosis or within 7 days from symptom onset and randomly assigned to receive either ciclesonide (320 µg inhalation twice per day for 14 days) or standard care. The primary endpoint was the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) eradication rate on day 14 from study enrollment. Clinical status was assessed once daily, and serial nasopharyngeal viral load was evaluated by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. There were 35 and 26 patients in the ciclesonide and standard care groups, respectively. The SARS-CoV-2 eradication rate at day 14 was significantly higher in the ciclesonide group (p = 0.021). In multivariate analysis, SARS-CoV-2 negative conversion within 14 days was 12 times more likely in the ciclesonide group (95% confidence interval, 1.187–125.240). Additionally, the clinical failure rate (high-flow nasal oxygen therapy or mechanical ventilation) was significantly lower in the ciclesonide group (p = 0.034). In conclusion, ciclesonide inhalation shortened SARS-CoV-2 viral shedding duration, and it may inhibit the progression to acute respiratory failure in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19. Clinical Trial Registration NCT04330586.