The Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistant Helicobacter pylori: A Literature Review

Abstract

Background:
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) as a pathogenic organism is colonized in the gastric microniche of 50% of the world's population. Although research on this bacterium has been taking place over the last few decades, the best strategies ending in its eradication remain unclear. The main cause of H. pylori treatment failure is a rapid increase in antibiotic resistance.

Materials and Methods:
A systematic review of the literature on H. pylori antibiotic resistance in Iran was performed within the time span of 1997 to 2017. Data obtained from various studies were collected as follows, 1) year of research 2) number of the strains of H. pylori tested, 3) study place, 4) resistance of H. pylori to various antibiotics as a percentage and 5) methods used for evaluation of antibiotic resistance.

Results:
In total, 36 studies have been conducted on antibiotic resistance of H. pylori strains isolated from different parts of Iran. The mean antibiotic resistance among H. pylori strains to various antibiotics were as follows: metronidazole (59.95%), clarithromycin (17.03%), tetracycline (10.11%), amoxicillin (13.43%), levofloxacin (16.83%), ciprofloxacin (23.27%), and furazolidone (13.58%).

Conclusion:
In the current review, we showed that the prevalence of antibiotic resistance among H. pylori strains increased between the antibiotics mentioned in Iran during the years 1997-2017. It has been emphasized that prescribing an appropriate regimen for successfull eradication of H. pylori requires sufficient information on bacterial antibiotic susceptibility in different geographical areas.