Efficacy of the Combination of Tetracycline, Amoxicillin, and Lansoprazole in the Eradication of Helicobacter pylori in Treatment-Naive Patients and in Patients Who Are Not Responsive to Clarithromycin-Based Regimens: A Pilot Study

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the eradication rate of a triple therapy regimen that included a proton pump inhibitor, amoxicillin, and tetracycline instead of clarithromycin in treatment-Naive patients and in patients who did not respond to standard triple therapy. METHODS: This study included 110 patients infected with Helicobacter pylori. Patients in groups A and B were treatment-Naive, and those in group C were not responsive to previous standard triple therapy. Patients in group A (n=40) received lansoprazole 30 mg b.i.d., amoxicillin 1,000 mg b.i.d., and clarithromycin 500 mg b.i.d. for 14 days. Patients in groups B (n=40) and C (n=30) received lansoprazole 30 mg b.i.d., amoxicillin 1,000 mg b.i.d., and tetracycline 500 mg q.i.d. for 14 days. RESULTS: In group A, eradication was achieved in 18 (45%) of the 40 patients included in the intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis and in 18 (47.4%) of the 38 patients included in the per-protocol (PP) analysis. In group B, eradication was achieved in 15 (37.5%) of the 40 patients included in the ITT analysis and in 15 (39.3%) of the 38 patients included in the PP analysis. In group C, eradication was achieved in 14 (46.6%) of the 30 patients included in the ITT analysis and in 14 (43.8%) of the 29 patients included in the PP analysis. There was no statistically significant difference among the 3 groups with regard to eradication rates (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Despite the low rate of resistance to tetracycline, the combination of lansoprazole, amoxicillin, and tetracycline instead of clarithromycin is not a good option for the eradication of H. pylori.

The Relationship between Quiescent Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Peripheral Polyneuropathy

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Inflammatory bowel disease is a chronic, recurrent disorder that involves multiple organ systems. Polyneuropathy is the most common neurological manifestation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between polyneuropathy and inflammatory bowel disease. METHODS: The study included 40 patients with infl ammatory bowel disease (20 with ulcerative colitis and 20 with Crohn's disease) and 24 healthy controls. The patients had no clinical signs or symptoms of polyneuropathy. Nerve conduction studies were performed using an electroneuromyography apparatus. RESULTS: Mean distal motor latencies, conduction velocities, and F wave minimum latencies of the right median nerve were signifi cantly abnormal in the patient group, compared to the healthy controls (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Some electrophysiological alterations were observed in chronic inflammatory bowel disease patients who showed no clinical signs. While investigating extra-intestinal manifestations in inflammatory bowel disease patients, nerve conduction studies must be performed to identify electrophysiological changes and subclinical peripheral polyneuropathy, which can subsequently develop.