Open AccessGenetic Antibiotic Resistance of Helicobacter pylori in South-Eastern Romania
Author(s) -
Eugen Dumitru,
Luana Alexandrescu,
Anda Carmen Hanu,
Cristina Tecchio,
Georgeta Camelia Cozaru,
Anca Florentina Mitroi,
Costel Brînzan,
Mariana Aşchie,
Irina Magdalena Dumitru
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of gastrointestinal and liver diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.641
H-Index - 48
eISSN - 1842-1121
pISSN - 1841-8724
DOI - 10.15403/jgld-758
Subject(s) - clarithromycin , helicobacter pylori , antibiotic resistance , medicine , antibiotics , rapid urease test , genotype , gastric biopsy , drug resistance , helicobacter , microbiology and biotechnology , gastroenterology , biology , helicobacter pylori infection , gastritis , gene , genetics
Background and Aim. Helicobacter pylori infection is very common worldwide, and it is associated with an important gastric pathology. Treatment of this infection is difficult and consists of the combination of two or three antibiotics. However, the rate of resistance to treatment is high. Antimicrobial resistance of Helicobacter pylori is based on its cultivation in the laboratory and testing of phenotypic susceptibility, a time-consuming, laborious method. This study aimed to detect the genetic resistance to antibiotics of Helicobacter pylori in the south-eastern region of Romania.
Methods. Ninety patients with positive rapid urease test gastric biopsy samples were tested. Genetic resistance to antibiotics (fluoroquinolone and clarithromycin) was tested by GenoType HelicoDR kit (Hain Lifescience GmbH, Germany).
Results. Clarithromycin resistance mutations were detected in 20% of patients, the commonest mutation in our study beeing A2147G (associated with high level of clarithromycin resistance and lower cure rates). Fluoroquinolones resistance mutations were detected in 30% of patients, and the most common mutations were D91N, D91G, and N87K. There was no correlation with patients gender or age, with the exception of fluoroquinolone resistance, which was detected more frequently in females.
Conclusions. Clarithromycin and fluoroquinolone resistance of Helicobacter pylori is moderately high in our study. There is a need for monitoring Helicobacter resistance patterns in Romania to provide data that can guide empirical treatment. This is the first published study on the genetic resistance of Helicobacter pylori in Romania.