Systematic review with meta-analysis: the efficacy of levofloxacin triple therapy as the first- or second-line treatments of Helicobacter pylori infection

Abstract

Background: Levofloxacin triple therapy has been used for the first-line and second-line treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection for more than 10 years.

Aims: To systematically review the efficacy of levofloxacin triple therapy in the first- and second-line treatment, and to assess the time trend and factors that might affect its efficacy.

Methods: Prospective trials reporting the efficacy of levofloxacin triple therapy in either the first-line or second-line treatment of H. pylori infection in adults were searched from the PubMed and Cochrane database from January 2000 to September 2015. Meta-analysis was performed to calculate the cumulative eradication rate and the efficacies in subgroups.

Results: Of the 322 articles identified, a total of 4574 patients from 41 trials, including 16 trials in the first-line treatment and 25 trials in the second-line treatment were eligible for analysis. The cumulative eradication rate was 77.3% (95% confidence intervals, CI: 74.7-79.6) and was 80.7% (95% CI 77.1-83.7) in the first-line treatment and 74.5% (95% CI: 70.9-77.8) in the second-line treatment. The efficacies of levofloxacin triple therapy before 2008, between 2009 and 2011, and after 2012 were 77.4%, 79.6% and 74.8% respectively. The eradication rate was higher when levofloxacin was given once daily (80.6%, 95% CI: 77.1-83.7) than twice daily (73.6%, 95% CI: 69.7-77.2). The efficacy was significantly higher in levofloxacin-susceptible strains than resistant strains (81.1% vs. 36.3%, risk ratio 2.18, 95% CI: 1.6-3, P < 0.001).

Conclusion: The efficacy of levofloxacin triple therapy has been lower than 80% in many countries and it is not recommended when the levofloxacin resistance is higher than 5-10%.