RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Physicians should try to achieve an optimal cure rate with their initial Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication therapy. Most physicians tend to use the same combination of drugs. There have been several reports that H. pylori infection in patients with peptic ulcer disease (PUD) is more likely to be cured than that in patients with non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD). However, there is no report in Korea about that issue. The aim of this study was to evaluate the difference of eradication rates of H. pylori between patients with PUD and patients with NUD in Korea. METHODS: 297 patients who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, treated with seven-day triple therapy (proton pump inhibitor+amoxicillin+clarithromycin), and then performed follow-up urea breath test were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: 237 of 297 patients were PUD (98 gastric ulcers, 167 duodenal ulcers, 28 both ulcers), and 60 of 297 patients were NUD. The eradication rates were 85.7% (95% CI 80.6~89.6%) and 73.3% (95% CI 61.0~82.9%), respectively. The eradication rate of NUD group was lower than that of PUD group (p=0.032). CONCLUSIONS: Seven-day triple therapy showed lower eradication rate in patients with NUD than patients with PUD. Therefore, extention of treatment duration or use of more potent regimen may be needed for eradication of H. pylori in patients with NUD.