Antibiotic resistance and heteroresistance in Helicobacter pylori isolates from symptomatic Vietnamese children: A prospective multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Antibiotic resistance of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is increasing worldwide, with geographical variations, impacting the treatment outcomes. This study assessed the antibiotic resistance patterns of H. pylori in Vietnamese children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Symptomatic children undergoing gastroduodenoscopy at two tertiary Children's Hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City were recruited. Antral and corpus biopsies were obtained and cultured separately. Susceptibility to amoxicillin (AMO), clarithromycin (CLA), metronidazole (MET), levofloxacin (LEV), and tetracycline (TET) was determined using E-test. Polymerase chain reaction was performed on another antral biopsy to detect the urease gene, cytotoxin-associated gene A (cagA), vacuolating cytotoxin A (vacA) genotypes, and 23S rRNA mutations conferring CLA resistance. RESULTS: Among 123 enrolled children, a high primary resistance rate was found for CLA (68.5%, 61/89), followed by LEV (55.1%), MET (31.5%), AMO (25.8%), and TET (1.1%). Secondary resistance rates were 82.1% (7/28), 71.4%, 53.6%, and 3.6% for CLA, LEV, MET, and TET, respectively. Multidrug resistance was frequent (67.7%), with common patterns including CLA + LEV (20.3%) and CLA + MTZ + LEV (15.2%). Heteroresistance was detected in eight children (6.5%). The A2143G mutation was detected in 97.5% (119/122) of children. 86.1% of children had positive cagA strains and 27.9% had multiple vacA genotypes. No factor was significantly associated with antibiotic resistance. CONCLUSIONS: The alarming rate of antibiotic resistance for H. pylori, especially for CLA, with emerging multi- and hetero-resistant strains, pose a major treatment challenge that precludes CLA use as empirical therapy. Biopsies from both antrum and corpus can improve H. pylori culture, allowing tailored treatment based on antimicrobial susceptibility.

High-efficiency reduction of p-nitrophenol on green-synthesized gold nanoparticles decorated on ceria nanorods.

A green synthesis using extract from Citrus maxima peel was developed to fabricate Au-Ce catalysts for the reduction of p-nitrophenol (PNP). Au nanoparticles with a diameter of 6.6 ± 2.5 nm were deposited onto the surface of CeO2 nanorods with a length of 33.1 ± 15.0 nm and a diameter of 7.1 ± 2.1 nm. The mesoporous and non-porous capillary structures of these materials were observed. The interaction between Au and CeO2 increased the specific surface area, pore diameter, and pore volume compared with pure CeO2 (90 m2 g-1, 23.8 Å, and 0.110 cm3 g-1 versus 72 m2 g-1, 23.0 Å, and 0.089 cm3 g-1). The splitting peaks of the surface oxygen and their shifting at lower temperatures compared with CeO2 nanorods were found thanks to the Au-CeO2 interaction, suggesting that their reduction occurred more easily. The synthesized Au-Ce catalysts exhibited excellent activity in the reduction of PNP to p-aminophenol. The 0.2Au-Ce catalyst was the most efficient one for PNP reduction, enabling the conversion of PNP in 30 minutes with a catalyst concentration of 20 mg L-1 and a PNP/NaBH4 molar ratio of 1/200. Moreover, the 0.2Au-Ce catalyst could be reused for at least five consecutive cycles without considerable loss of its activity.