The antibiotic resistance of Helicobacter pylori to five antibiotics and influencing factors in an area of China with a high risk of gastric cancer

BACKGROUND: H. pylori exhibits antibiotic resistance with regional differences. In this paper, we explored antibiotic resistance of H. pylori to five antibiotics in an area with a high risk of gastric cancer. RESULTS: H. pylori resistance rates to metronidazole, levofloxacin, clarithromycin, amoxicillin, and tetracycline were 78.0, 56.0, 31.0, 9.0, and 15.0%, respectively. Double, triple, quadruple, and quintuple resistance rates were 23, 20, 6, and 4%, respectively. The clarithromycin and multidrug resistance rates were significantly higher in males than females (clarithromycin: 44.4% vs 15.2%, respectively, P = 0.002; multidrug: 75.5% vs 37.2%, respectively; P < 0.001). During the three periods of 1998–1999, 2002–2004 and 2016–2017, the resistance rates to levofloxacin and amoxicillin were increasing (OR: 2.089, 95%CI: 1.142–3.821, P = 0.017; and OR: 5.035, 95%CI: 1.327–19.105, P = 0.018, respectively). The antibiotic resistance rates were unassociated with the host disease state. Metronidazole resistance was lower in the vacAs1m1/m2 group than the vacAs1m1m2 group (65% vs 85.7%, respectively; P = 0.026). As for levofloxacin resistance, it was higher with cagA (+) than cagA(−) (60.9% vs 23.1%, respectively; P = 0.020) but lower with slyD(+) than slyD(−) (41.4% vs 68.5%, respectively; P = 0.009). Clarithromycin had a lower resistance rate with iceA(++) than iceA(−+) (19.7% vs 52.4%, respectively; P = 0.017). For amoxicillin, the iceA(++) group had a lower resistance rate than the iceA(−−) group (1.6% vs 27.8%, respectively; P = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: The total resistance rates of H. pylori to metronidazole, levofloxacin, clarithromycin, amoxicillin, and tetracycline were high in Zhuanghe. The resistanc rates to levofloxacin and amoxicillin increased over time. Clarithromycin resistance was associated with male and iceA. The resistance of metronidazole was related to vacA. Levofloxacin resistance was concerned with cagA and slyD and amoxicillin resistance was concerned with iceA. While, the antibiotic resistance of H. pylori had nothing to do with the status of gastric disease.