Efficacy of moxifloxacin-based sequential therapy for first-line eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection in gastrointestinal disease

AIM:To evaluate the efficacy of 14-d moxifloxacinbased sequential therapy as first-line eradication treatment of Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori) infection.METHODS:From December 2013 to August 2014, 161 patients with confirmed H.pylori infection randomly received 14 d of moxifloxacin-based sequential group(MOX-ST group, n = 80) or clarithromycin-based sequential group(CLA-ST group, n = 81) therapy.H.pylori infection was defined on the basis of at least one of the following three tests:a positive 13C-urea breath test; histologic evidence of H.pylori by modified Giemsa staining; or a positive rapid urease test(CLOtest; Delta West, Bentley, Australia) by gastric mucosal biopsy.Successful eradication therapy for H.pylori infection was defined as a negative 13C-urea breath test four weeks after the end of eradication treatment.Compliance was defined as good when drug intake was at least 85%.H.pylori eradication rates, patient compliance with drug treatment, adverse event rates, and factors influencing the efficacy of eradication therapy were evaluated.RESULTS:The eradication rates by intention-to-treat analysis were 91.3%(73/80;95%CI:86.2%-95.4%)in the MOX-ST group and 71.6%(58/81;95%CI:65.8%-77.4%)in the CLA-ST group(P=0.014).The eradication rates by per-protocol analysis were 93.6%(73/78;95%CI:89.1%-98.1%)in the MOX-ST group and 75.3%(58/77;95%CI:69.4%-81.8%)in the CLAST group(P=0.022).Compliance was 100%in both groups.The adverse event rates were 12.8%(10/78)and 24.6%(19/77)in the MOX-ST and CLA-ST group,respectively(P=0.038).Most of the adverse events were mild-to-moderate in intensity;there was none serious enough to cause discontinuation of treatmentin either group.In multivariate analysis,advanced age(≥60 years)was a significant independent factor related to the eradication failure in the CLA-ST group(adjusted OR=2.13,95%CI:1.97-2.29,P=0.004),whereas there was no significance in the MOX-ST group.CONCLUSION:The 14-d moxifloxacin-based sequential therapy is effective.Moreover,it shows excellent patient compliance and safety compared to the 14-d clarithromycin-based sequential therapy.