Background
Resistance of Helicobacter pylori to clarithromycin has been associated with A2142G and A2143G point mutations in the 23S rRNA gene. Thus, the
Conclusion
In an H. pylori-infected population, the A2142G mutation may incur to a greater probability of treatment failure if clarithromycin is used.
Methods
The MIC for clarithromycin was determined by the agar dilution method, and the point mutations of H. pylori were detected by PCR followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism.
Results
Clarithromycin MICs ranged from 2 to >256 microgram ml-1 among the 52 strains included in this study. Both the A2142G and the A2143G mutations were present in 94.2% of clarithromycin-resistant H. pylori strains examined. A relationship was observed between the presence of the A2142G mutation and the highest MIC values (p = 0.01).