Is a 7-day Helicobater pylori treatment enough for eradication and inactivation of gastric inflammatory activity?

AIM: To compare the efficacy of a 7-d vs 10-d triple therapy regarding H pylori eradication, endoscopic findings and histological gastric inflammatory inactivation in the Ecuadorian population.METHODS: 136 patients with dyspepsia and H pylori infection were randomized in 2 groups (68 per group): group 1, 7-d therapy; group 2, 10-d therapy. Both groups received the same medication and daily dosage: omeprazole 20 mg bid, clarithromycin 500 mg bid and amoxicillin 1 g bid. Endoscopy was performed for histological assessment and H pylori infection status before and 8 wk after treatment.RESULTS: H pylori was eradicated in 68% of group 1 vs 83.8% of group 2 for the intention-to-treat analysis (ITT) (P = 0.03; OR = 2.48; 95% CI, 1.1-5.8), and 68% in group 1 vs 88% in group 2 for the per-protocol analysis (PP) (P = 0.008; OR = 3.66; 95% CI, 1.4-10). Endoscopic gastric mucosa normalization was observed in 56.9% in group 1 vs 61.2% in group 2 for ITT, with similar results for the PP, the difference being statistically not significant. The rate of inflammatory inactivation was 69% in group 1 vs 88.7% in group 2 for ITT (P = 0.007; OR = 3.00; 95% CI, 1.2-7.5), and 69% in group 1 vs 96% in group 2 for PP (P = 0.0002; OR = 7.25; 95% CI, 2-26).CONCLUSION: In this Ecuadorian population, the 10-d therapy was more effective than the 7-d therapy for H pylori eradication as well as for gastric mucosa inflammatory inactivation.