0000000000371008
AUTHOR
R. Biagini
Optimal duration of therapy combining ranitidine bismuth citrate with clarithromycin and metronidazole in the eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection
Background: Ranitidine bismuth citrate (RBC) co-prescribed with clarithromycin and metronidazole for 1 week has been shown to be an effective eradicating regimen for Helicobacter pylori. Aim: To determine the optimal duration of this regimen. Methods: A series of 165 dyspeptic patients were recruited for this randomized, open, parallel-group study. They were subdivided into three groups receiving RBC 400 mg b.d. plus clarithromycin 250 mg b.d. and metronidazole 500 mg b.d. for three different periods (4, 7 and 10 days). H. pylori infection was assessed by the concomitant positivity of CLO-test and histology performed at the pre-entry endoscopy. The bacterium was considered eradicated on the…
Stool antigen assay (HpSA) is less reliable than urea breath test for post-treatment diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection
Summary Background : The diagnostic yield of the stool antigen test (HpSA) in evaluating the results of Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy is controversial, but many studies have used only the 13C-urea breath test (13C-UBT) as a gold standard which has greatly reduced their relevance. Aim : To compare the reliability of HpSA and 13C-UBT in patients post-treatment using biopsy-based methods as reference tests. Methods : A total of 100 consecutive dyspeptic patients (42 male and 58 female; mean age, 56 ± 18 years) were enrolled in our study. All patients were H. pylori positive on the basis of at least two biopsy-based methods, and underwent 1 week of treatment with various triple therap…
Comparison of the main oesophageal pathophysiological characteristics between short- and long-segment Barrett's oesophagus
Aim: To assess the oesophageal manometric characteristics and 24-h pH profiles of patients with both short-segment and long-segment Barrett's oesophagus and compare them with those of patients with reflux oesophagitis and controls. Methods: Seventy-nine patients who had undergone upper digestive endoscopy were recruited: 16 had short-segment Barrett's oesophagus, 13 had long-segment Barrett's oesophagus, 25 had grade III oesophagitis according to the Savary–Miller classification and 25 were used as controls. The diagnosis of Barrett's oesophagus was based on the histological detection of specialized intestinal metaplasia, which extended 3 cm in patients with long-segment disease. All subje…
Circadian pattern of intragastric acidity in patients with non-erosive reflux disease (NERD)
Summary Background : Most patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease have non-erosive reflux disease. Proton pump inhibitors are less effective than expected in these patients, but no previous study has measured their 24-h gastric pH values. Aims : To evaluate whether there are differences in 24-h intragastric acidity between reflux patients with and without oesophagitis and controls. The influence of Helicobacter pylori on the gastric pH of reflux patients was also assessed. Methods : Sixty-three consecutive patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease symptoms who agreed to undergo endoscopy and 24-h pH-metry were recruited. Twenty-five (39%) had erosive oesophagitis and 38 (61%) …