ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The efficacy of short-course triple therapy for the eradication of Helicobacter pylori has been documented in patients with normal renal function. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of a 1-week proton-pump inhibitor-based triple therapy for H pylori eradication in a prospective study of patients with chronic renal failure (CRF). METHODS: Forty-two patients with a creatinine clearance (CrCl) less than 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 or serum creatinine level greater than 2.26 mg/dL (>200 micromol/L; n = 21; CRF group; 12 patients on dialysis therapy) or normal renal function (n = 21; controls) were studied when they had H pylori infection on top of peptic ulcer disease (20 patients) or gastritis (22 patients). The combination of omeprazole, 20 mg twice daily; amoxicillin, 1 g twice daily; and clarithromycin, 500 mg twice daily, was administered for 1 week. All patients underwent repeated endoscopy 4 weeks later for assessment of eradication. Apart from patients on dialysis therapy, all patients had serum creatinine levels and CrCls measured 2 and 4 weeks after treatment. RESULTS: All except 5 patients (2 patients, CRF group; 3 controls) had successful eradication (90.5% versus 85.7%). For patients not on dialysis therapy, serum creatinine levels and CrCls remained stable 4 weeks after treatment (serum creatinine, 3.68 +/- 1.09 versus 3.76 +/- 1.09 mg/dL [325 +/- 96 versus 332 +/- 96 micromol/L]; P = not significant [NS]; CrCl, 21.4 +/- 8.3 versus 22.2 +/- 6.9 mL/min/1.73 m2; P = NS). CONCLUSION: The 1-week course of proton-pump inhibitor-based triple therapy achieved a high eradication rate of H pylori infection in patients with CRF, similar to controls with normal renal function. The regimen was well tolerated.
