RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Primary antibiotic-resistance and poor compliance are the main causes of Helicobacter pylori eradication failure of standard regimens. AIM: To investigate eradication rate, patient compliance and tolerability of a 1-week once-daily levofloxacin plus azithromycin triple therapy versus the standard twice-daily triple therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 164 H. pylori-positive patients were randomised to either esomeprazole 20mg, levofloxacin 500 mg and azithromycin 500 mg once-daily (ELAz) or esomeprazole 20mg, clarithromycin 500 mg and amoxycillin 1g twice-daily (ECA) for 1 week. H. pylori infection was defined at entry by histology and urea breath test; cure of infection was determined both by negative urea breath test and H. pylori stool antigens. RESULTS: H. pylori eradication rates of ELAz and ECA were similar at intention-to-treat (both 65%) and per-protocol analyses (70% versus 76%, respectively). Incidence of poor compliance was lower, although not significantly, in patients randomised to ELAz than to ECA (4% versus 10%); tolerability was significantly higher for ELAz than for ECA (88% versus 70%; P=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Once-daily levofloxacin plus azithromycin-based triple therapy achieves an H. pylori eradication rate comparable to that of standard twice-daily triple therapy, but is associated with higher patient compliance and might even be better tolerated.