Efficacy of Phenotype-vs. Genotype-Guided Therapy Based on Clarithromycin Resistance for Helicobacter pylori Infection in Children

BACKGROUND: Clarithromycin resistance reduces the eradication rate of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). Cultures with susceptibility testing and molecular determination of genotypes are recommended to guide-tailored therapy. METHODS: We retrospectively enrolled patients aged 6 and 18 years with H. pylori infection, who underwent an endoscopy and agreed to undergo both culture and genetic testing for clarithromycin resistance. Patients receiving tailored therapy based on traditional culture results (phenotype-guided therapy) or genetic testing results (genotype-guided therapy) were included in the study. (13)C-urea breath test was used to evaluate the success of eradication at least 4 weeks after the completion of treatment. We aimed to determine whether the eradication rate of phenotype- or genotype-guided therapy based on clarithromycin resistance is greater than 90% in children. RESULTS: Between September 2017 and October 2020, 226 eligible patients were enrolled. There were 71 with clarithromycin-sensitive strains in the phenotype-guided therapy group and 87 without 23S rRNA point mutations (A2142G, A2142C, and A2143G) in the genotype-guided therapy group. Eradication rates were 70.4% (50/71, [95% CI: 58.4–80.7%] for phenotype-guided therapy and 92.0% (80/87, [95% CI: 84.1–96.7%]) for genotype-guided therapy (P < 0.01). The incidence of side effects was 4.2% (3/71) and 10.3% (9/87), with no major differences between these two groups (P = 0.15), respectively. The compliance rate was also similar (97.2 vs. 95.4%, P = 0.87). CONCLUSION: Tailored therapy according to genetic testing results achieved eradication rates of 92% and was superior to tailored therapy guided by traditional culture results.