Epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori Resistance to Antibiotics (A Narrative Review)

Abstract

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is the most common bacterial infection worldwide and one of the main etiological factors of chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, and stomach neoplasms. The mass application of antibiotics without testing, especially during the last years of the pandemic of SARS-CoV-2, could lead to a dramatic increase in antibiotic resistance and reduced effectiveness of eradication regimens for H. pylori infection. The epidemiology of H. pylori resistance to antibiotics still has unclear mechanisms. Antibiotic policy should be intensified to optimize treatment, and regular monitoring of resistance of H. pylori in different geographical regions should be conducted. Individualized treatment according to susceptibility testing is strongly advisable, and the best treatment regimens should be selected. The mutations in the genes encoding the antibiotic target protein are significant risk factors for H. pylori resistance. Iatrogenic errors in diagnosis and prescribing treatment for the failure of H. pylori eradication are other important risk factors. The low level of awareness and compliance with the correct treatment influence the rate of H. pylori resistance. Epidemiological surveillance of antibiotic resistance and the adoption of new treatment strategies are needed. The discovery of an efficient vaccine against H. pylori could reduce the pressure of the world’s growing antibiotic resistance.

Influence of Source Materials, Concentration, Gastric Digestion, and Encapsulation on the Bioactive Response of Brassicaceae-Derived Samples against Helicobacter pylori

“…Along with this limited treatment choice, H. pylori also has demonstrated an exceptional adaptation ability, being able to rapidly develop primary antibiotic resistance. This has led to a reduction in the success probabilities for the combined treatments and a great dilemma for patients that do not respond to consecutive drug therapies [ 7 , 8 ]. Therefore, since 2017, H. pylori has been included by the World Health Organization (WHO) among the 20 antibiotic-resistant pathogens that are supposed to be the most serious threat to human health [ 9 ].…”