What Are Appropriate End-Points for Helicobacter pylori Eradication in the Treatment of Duodenal Ulcer

The end-point of Helicobacter pylori eradication trials in peptic ulcer disease should be the presence or absence of continuing H. pylori infection, and not ulcer healing or recurrence. This is not to suggest that ulcer healing or prevention of recurrence is not the desired clinical end-point. It is to allow large trials to be conducted in a ‘patient-friendly’ manner and in a shorter time-scale, both of which reduce patient withdrawals, protocol violations and cost. For the same reasons, diagnosis of cure should be made by noninvasive means whenever possible.