Pharmacological effects of metronidazole+tetracycline+bismuth subcitrate versus omeprazole+amoxycillin+bismuth subcitrate in Helicobacter pylori-related gastritis and peptic ulcer disease.

PURPOSE: Two 4-week triple-therapy treatment regimens, metronidazole+tetracycline+bismuth subcitrate and omeprazole+amoxycillin+bismuth subcitrate, were compared in a randomly allocated double-blind trial for their efficacy in eradicating Helicobacter pylori from the gastric mucosa of patients with gastritis and/or peptic ulcer disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The presence of gastritis and/or peptic ulcers was confirmed by endoscopy in all patients included in the study. To evaluate drug effects, we used the urease test on gastric mucosa, and haematoxylin-eosin and specific Giemsa stains on biopsy tissues obtained by endoscopic procedures; we also evaluated the improvement in clinical symptoms before and after the 4-week treatments. RESULTS: Among 164 patients with gastritis and/or peptic ulcers, H. pylori infection was confirmed in 93.9% (154 patients) by the urease test and in 87.8% (144 patients) by haematoxylin-eosin stain. Following 4 weeks of treatment with both combination regimens, negative conversion rates by the urease test and haematoxylin-eosin staining and rates of recovery from clinical symptoms were similar in both regimens (metronidazole+tetracycline+bismuth subcitrate: 82.3, 72.9 and 73.9%; omeprazole+amoxycillin+bismuth subcitrate: 89.6, 83.4 and 76.1%, respectively). Also, the extent of inflammatory activity and the H. pylori score by the Giemsa method indicated high rates of recovery, with improvements to grade 0 (lowest grade) from higher grades with both combination regimens (60.4 and 66.7% of patients taking metronidazole+tetracycline+bismuth subcitrate and 64.6 and 83.3 of those taking omeprazole+amoxycillin+bismuth subcitrate). However, the prevalence of side effects during the 4 weeks of treatment was doubled in the former group compared to the latter (25.5 versus 12.5% of patients). CONCLUSIONS: Significant improvements in biochemical and histopathological findings and in the clinical symptoms of gastritis and/or peptic ulcer disease in patients with a high rate of H. pylori infection were observed equally with both regimens. However, there were notably fewer side effects in patients treated with omeprazole+amoxycillin+bismuth subcitrate. We therefore recommended this regimen in preference to metronidazole+tetracycline+bismuth subcitrate for the treatment of H. pylori-related gastritis and peptic ulcer disease.