Omeprazole 40 mg once a day is equally effective as lansoprazole 30 mg twice a day in symptom control of patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) who are resistant to conventional-dose lansoprazole therapy-a prospective, randomized, multi-centre study. (73/641)

BACKGROUND: Comparative studies of omeprazole and lansoprazole are scarce and even scarcer are comparisons of higher doses. Most of the comparative studies have assessed the effect of the two proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) on gastric acid secretion or gastric pH. Few studies have compared clinical end-points such as oesophageal healing and symptom control. AIM: To determine the clinical efficacy of omeprazole 40 mg daily as compared to lansoprazole 30 mg twice a day in symptom control of patients with severe symptomatic GERD. METHODS: Ninety-six patients who failed a standard dose of lansoprazole (30 mg once daily), were enrolled in a prospective fashion from three VA medical centres and were randomized to receive 6 weeks of either omeprazole 40 mg daily or lansoprazole 30 mg twice daily. Patients reported daily on symptom severity and frequency, antacid consumption and side-effects. RESULTS: Forty-six patients received omeprazole and 44 lansoprazole. Although not statistically significant, there was a consistent trend of better symptom control in the omeprazole group for daytime and night-time heartburn and acid regurgitation. There was no statistical difference between the two groups in mean antacid consumption overall and at the end of each of the 6 weeks of the study. In addition, there was no significant difference in the overall frequency of side-effects between the two groups nor for each individual side-effect. CONCLUSION: Omeprazole 40 mg once daily is equally effective and tolerated as lansoprazole 30 mg twice daily in symptom control of patients with GERD.  (+info)

Pantoprazole, azithromycin and tinidazole: short duration triple therapy for eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection. (74/641)

BACKGROUND: Azithromycin is an acid-stable macrolide that achieves remarkably high concentrations in gastric tissue, persisting above the MIC90 for Helicobacter pylori over a period of 5-days, after a single 500 mg oral dose. AIM: To evaluate and compare the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of two eradicating regimens of pantoprazole, azithromycin and tinidazole. METHODS: A total of 100 consecutive symptomatic H. pylori-positive patients received pantoprazole 40 mg b.d. for 1 week, and were randomly assigned to either azithromycin 500 mg o.m. and tinidazole 500 mg b.d. during the first 3 days (early group, n=50) or during the last 3 days of therapy with pantoprazole (late group, n=50). H. pylori status was assessed by histology and rapid urease test at entry and by histology and 13C-urea breath test 1 month after the end of the therapy. RESULTS: Ninety-nine patients completed the study. H. pylori was eradicated in 86% of patients in the early group (intention-to-treat 86%) and in 88% of patients in the late group (intention-to-treat 88%). CONCLUSIONS: This short triple therapy is effective for H. pylori eradication. The compliance was excellent and side-effects negligible. Moreover, the pantoprazole pre-treatment did not modify the efficacy of the therapy.  (+info)

5-day vs. 7-day triple therapy with rabeprazole, clarithromycin and amoxicillin for Helicobacter pylori eradication. (75/641)

AIM: To determine whether a 5-day regimen with rabeprazole, clarithromycin and amoxicillin (RCA) was as effective as a 7-day regimen. METHODS: A total of 139 H. pylori-infected patients were randomized to receive either a 5-day or 7-day course of rabeprazole 10 mg b.d., clarithromycin 400 mg b.d. and amoxicillin 750 mg b.d. Eradication was assessed by CLO test, histology and 13C-urea breath test. RESULTS: On the intention-to-treat basis, eradication rates were 66% (46 out of 70) and 84% (58 out of 69) for the 5- and 7-day regimens, respectively (P < 0.05). Using per protocol analysis, eradication rates were 70% (46 out of 66) and 91% (58 out of 64) for the 5- and 7-day regimens, respectively (P < 0.01). Adverse events, which were observed in 14 patients from each group, caused discontinuation of treatment in only two patients, resulting in excellent compliance. CONCLUSIONS: Our 5-day regimen of RCA yielded inferior results, whereas the 7-day regimen achieved an eradication rate exceeding 90% on the per protocol basis. Therefore, treatment regimens of less than 7 days for proton pump inhibitor-clarithromycin-amoxicillin therapies cannot be recommended.  (+info)

A lyophilized and inactivated culture of Lactobacillus acidophilus increases Helicobacter pylori eradication rates. (76/641)

BACKGROUND: Acid suppression plus two antibiotics is considered the reference anti-Helicobacter pylori treatment. Reported eradication rates are around 65-80%. Human Lactobacillus acidophilus shows an in vitro inhibitory effect on the attachment of H. pylori to gastric epithelial cell lines. Culture supernatant of this bacillus seems to decrease the in vitro viability of H. pylori. AIM: To evaluate whether the supplementation with an inactivated preparation of L. acidophilus could improve the efficacy of a standard anti-H. pylori therapy. METHODS: One-hundred and twenty H. pylori-positive patients were randomly assigned to a 7-day triple therapy based on rabeprazole (20 mg b.d.), clarithromycin (250 mg t.d.s.) and amoxicillin (500 mg t.d.s.) (RCA group: 60 subjects), or to the same regimen supplemented with a lyophilized and inactivated culture of Lactobacillus acidophilus (t.d.s.) (RCAL group: 60 subjects). RESULTS: In the RCA group, eradication was successful in 72% (42 out of 58 patients) from a per protocol (PP) analysis, or 70% (42 out of 60 patients) using an intention-to treat (ITT) analysis. In the RCAL group a significant increase in the eradication rate was observed: 88% (52 out of 59 patients) from PP analysis (P=0.03), 87% (52 out of 60 patients) from ITT analysis (P=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: These results seem to confirm the in vitro anti-H. pylori effect of L. acidophilus, suggesting that the inactivated L. acidophilus could be effective in increasing eradication rates of a standard anti-H. pylori therapy.  (+info)

Helicobacter pylori effects on gastritis, gastrin and enterochromaffin-like cells in Zollinger-Ellison syndrome and non-Zollinger-Ellison syndrome acid hypersecretors treated long-term with lansoprazole. (77/641)

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori is said to cause atrophy of the gastric corpus and enterochromaffin-like cell proliferation in gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) patients treated long-term with a proton pump inhibitor. AIMS: To determine the effect of H. pylori infection on gastritis, enterochromaffin-like cell density and hyperplasia, mucosal atrophy and serum gastrin in patients with gastric hypersecretion (basal acid output gt; 15 mmol/h) with either hypergastrinemia (Zollinger-Ellison syndrome) or normal gastrin (non-Zollinger-Ellison syndrome) before and during long-term treatment with lansoprazole. METHODS: Lansoprazole was individually titrated to reduce basal acid output to < 5 mmol/h (< 1 mmol/h in post-surgical Zollinger-Ellison syndrome). Gastric corpus biopsies were obtained every 6 months before treatment and up to 8 years later. RESULTS: H. pylori was present in corpus biopsies in approximately 50%, causing active gastritis which resolved rapidly in 15 subjects after elimination of H. pylori. Patchy mild/moderate corpus atrophy was present at entry in two and at the end in four out of 60 patients, one being H. pylori-positive. Intestinal metaplasia (< 10%) was seen in six isolated biopsies (1% of total). H. pylori did not affect serum gastrin, enterochromaffin-like cell density or hyperplasia. Enterochromaffin-like cell density was twice as high in Zollinger-Ellison syndrome as in non-Zollinger-Ellison syndrome patients (241 vs. 126 cells/mm2, P < 0.001). Enterochromaffin-like cells remained normal in the non-Zollinger-Ellison syndrome hypersecretors regardless of H. pylori status. CONCLUSION: Corpus enterochromaffin-like cell increases were related to serum gastrin elevation, but neither H. pylori nor long-term treatment with lansoprazole alone or together had any effect on enterochromaffin-like cell density or hyperplasia. Corpus acute gastritis resulted from H. pylori infection, but did not result in mucosal atrophy despite long-term proton pump inhibitor treatment and promptly resolved with loss of H. pylori.  (+info)

Duration of effect of lansoprazole on gastric pH and acid secretion in normal male volunteers. (78/641)

AIM: A double-blind, placebo-controlled study to assess the duration of effect of lansoprazole 30 mg o.m. on intragastric pH, acid secretion, gastrin levels, the potential for rebound acidity, and the relationship between gastric acid and drug pharmacokinetic parameters. METHODS: Sixteen subjects were treated with lansoprazole 30 mg daily or placebo for 14 days, followed by a 7-day post-dosing period and a post-study evaluation on day 28. Ambulatory 24-h pH was recorded and pentagastrin-stimulated acid secretion measured. Plasma kinetics of lansoprazole were determined. RESULTS: Mean intragastric pH in the lansoprazole group increased significantly (P < 0.05) from baseline to day 14 compared to placebo. After cessation of treatment, secretory activity, as measured by intragastric pH, basal acid output and stimulated acid output, returned to baseline in 2 to 4 days without any overshoot, indicating the absence of acid rebound. Lansoprazole's terminal disposition half-life was 1.11 h. Mean pH and serum gastrin returned to baseline with half-lives of 22 and 19 h, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Lansoprazole 30 mg daily significantly increases mean intragastric pH without producing acid rebound. Regeneration of acid production depends primarily on de novo synthesis of the acid pump.  (+info)

The effect of oral administration of Lactobacillus GG on antibiotic-associated gastrointestinal side-effects during Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy. (79/641)

BACKGROUND: One-week triple therapy is currently considered the golden standard against Helicobacter pylori. However, gastrointestinal side-effects are among the major pitfalls in such regimens. Probiotic supplementation might help to prevent or reduce such drug-related manifestations. AIM: To determine whether adding the probiotic Lactobacillus GG to an anti-H. pylori regimen could help to prevent or minimize the gastrointestinal side-effects burden. METHODS: Sixty healthy asymptomatic subjects screened positive for H. pylori infection were randomized to 1 week rabeprazole (20 mg b.d.), clarithromycin (500 mg b.d.), tinidazole (500 b.d.) and the probiotic Lactobacillus GG for 14 days or to the same regimen with a placebo preparation. Patients completed validated questionnaires during the week of treatment and during the following 3 weeks, to determine the type and severity of side-effects and an overall judgement of tolerability. RESULTS: Diarrhoea, nausea and taste disturbance were significantly reduced in the Lactobacillus GG supplemented group (relative risk=0.1, 95% CI: 0.1-0.9; relative risk=0.3, 95% CI: 0.1-0.9; relative risk=0.5, 95% CI: 0.2-0.9, respectively). An overall assessment of treatment tolerability showed a significant difference in favour of the Lactobacillus GG supplemented group (P=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Lactobacillus GG supplementation showed a positive impact on H. pylori therapy-related side-effects and on overall treatment tolerability.  (+info)

Eradication of Helicobacter pylori prevents ulcer development in patients with ulcer-like functional dyspepsia. (80/641)

BACKGROUND: Although the eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection benefits patients with gastric or duodenal ulcers, the value of eradicating the infection in the patients with functional dyspepsia (FD) remains controversial. AIMS: To determine whether eradicating H. pylori can prevent the subsequent development of ulcers or relieve the symptoms of functional dyspepsia patients. METHODS: In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 161 patients infected with H. pylori who had functional dyspepsia were randomly assigned to 7 days of treatment with a lansoprazole-based triple therapy or placebo and then followed for 1 year. The main outcome measures were the development of peptic ulcers and the resolution of symptoms. RESULTS: H. pylori was eradicated in 63 out of 81 patients (78%) in the treatment group and none of the 80 patients (0%) in the placebo group. During the follow-up period, two patients in the treatment group and six patients in the placebo group developed peptic ulcers at repeat endoscopy (2.5% vs. 7.5%; 95% CI: -12 to 2). The reduction in ulcer rates was statistically significant in the 'ulcer-like' sub-group (0% vs. 16.7%; 95% CI: -32 to -2), but not in the 'dysmotility-like' and 'unclassifiable' sub-groups. Regarding symptom response, the resolution rates of symptoms were similar between the treatment and placebo groups (58.0% vs. 55.0%, 95% CI: -12 to 18). Additionally, no significant differences existed in the symptom responses between the treatment and control arms in each of the dyspepsia sub-groups. CONCLUSIONS: Eradicating H. pylori can prevent the subsequent development of peptic ulcers in the patients with 'ulcer-like' functional dyspepsia. However, this approach does not significantly reduce the symptoms of functional dyspepsia patients.  (+info)