Eradication of Helicobacter pylori with lansoprazole, amoxicillin, and plaunotol in duodenal ulcer patients

Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy combining amoxicillin (AMPC), plaunotol (PL), and a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) was examined as an alternative to triple therapy, which has a high rate of side effects and low patient compliance. Thirty-two H. pylori-positive patients (24 men, 8 women) with duodenal ulcers were examined. The diagnosis of H. pylori infection was made by the urease test on specimens biopsied from two sites in the stomach. Simultaneously, the IgG antibody against H. pylori was measured by the EIA method. The therapeutic regimen was lansoprazole (LPZ) 30 mg q.d. (6 weeks) and AMPC 1,500 mg t.i.d. (2 weeks) plus PL320 mg b.i.d. (6 weeks). The rate of ulcer healing was judged endoscopically after 6 weeks. Cases that become urease-negative after the cessation of the therapy were defined as having achieved clearance, and those negative after I month as eradication. Within 6 weeks, 31 of 32 patients had healed ulcers. All patients were H. pylori antibody-positive before therapy. The clearance rate was 71.9% (23/32) and the eradication rate was 45.8% (11/24). Adverse effects were observed only in one case. We conclude that combination therapy with LPZ, AMPC, and PL has a high therapeutic effect on ulcer healing and moderate effectiveness for eradication of H. pylori.