Rescue Reatment of Helicobacter Pylori Based on Fecal Antimicrobial Resistance Gene Testing

Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori, Hp) is a major etiological agent in chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, gastric cancer, and gastric MALT lymphoma, and is classified as a Group I carcinogen by the World Health Organization. The "2022 Chinese Clinical Guidelines for the Treatment of Helicobacter pyloriInfection" recommend antimicrobial susceptibility testing following initial treatment failure to guide personalized therapy and improve eradication rates. However, conventional susceptibility testing faces two major limitations: 1) reliance on invasive endoscopic biopsy for tissue acquisition, and 2) dependency on bacterial culture, which is complex and time-consuming. Fecal-based antimicrobial resistance gene testing overcomes these barriers, offering distinct advantages of being non-invasive (no endoscopy required), rapid (significantly shorter turnaround time), and accurate (direct detection of resistance genes), thereby improving patient compliance. This study aims to elucidate the diagnostic value of fecal nucleic acid testing for H. pyloriinfection and to evaluate the eradication rate and safety of tailored triple therapy regimens selected based on fecal resistance gene profiles.

Inclusion criteria

• ① Age 18-70 years;

• Patients with Hp-positive chronic gastritis who have failed initial treatment, as confirmed by urea breath test or endoscopic biopsy;

• No use of PPIs, H2-receptor antagonists, antibiotics, or bismuth agents within 4 weeks;

• History of having received one previous, standardized Hp eradication therapy.

Exclusion criteria

• ① Use of antibiotics, bismuth agents within 4 weeks prior to treatment, or use of PPIs or H₂-receptor antagonists within 2 weeks prior to treatment;

• History of gastric or duodenal surgery;

• Concurrent presence of other serious conditions such as cardiac, hepatic, or renal dysfunction, malignant tumors, or other severe internal diseases;

• Allergy to any component of the study medications; ⑤ Pregnant or breastfeeding women; ⑥ Participation in other drug studies within 3 months prior to treatment; ⑦ Patients unable to accurately express their complaints or cooperate with the study investigators.