Helicobacter pylori resistance to current therapies

Abstract

Purpose of review: Helicobacter pylori eradication rates have fallen in recent years, mainly because of the emergence of antibiotic-resistant infections. Indeed the WHO has recently designated clarithromycin-resistant H. pylori infection a high priority for antibiotic resistance research and development. This review aims to discuss the most up-to-date information on the methods to detect H. pylori antibiotic resistance, the recent data on resistance rates, and the most appropriate treatment strategies to overcome antibiotic resistance.

Recent findings: There has been active research into the development and assessment of genotypic diagnostic assays for both the invasive and noninvasive detection of antibiotic-resistant infection. There are regional variations in the prevalence of H. pylori antibiotic resistance. Primary resistance rates in general are on the rise and high rates of clarithromycin resistance (>15%) have been reported in many parts of the world.

Summary: Optimizing antimicrobial susceptibility testing by both invasive and noninvasive means is crucial to accurately evaluate resistance rates for the optimization of both regional and personalized H. pylori treatment strategies.