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Helicobacter pylori culture positivity and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles (Vancouver, Canada)

Hasan Hamze, M. Payne, Aleksandra Stefanovic, Christopher F. Lowe, M. Romney, N. Matic

Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 2025

7 citations

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Helicobacter pylori is associated with gastrointestinal diseases including gastritis and peptic ulcers. Despite its significance, there is a scarcity of antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) data available for this organism in North America. Objectives The aim of this study was to assess the AST profile and identify factors associated with H. pylori culture positivity in a cohort of patients with refractory H. pylori undergoing gastric biopsies. Methods We retrospectively reviewed gastric biopsy specimens received for culture between July 2009 and February 2023. We analyzed specimen transport time, Gram smear results, direct urease test findings, culture positivity and AST profiles. Using gradient strip methodology and European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing breakpoints, AST was conducted for amoxicillin, clarithromycin, metronidazole, levofloxacin and tetracycline. Results Of 579 biopsy samples received for H. pylori culture, 228 (39.4%) tested positive. Samples transported within <1 h had significantly higher odds (1.81 times, P < 0.015) of being culture positive compared to those with longer transport times. Smear-positive samples had substantially higher odds (18.8 times, P < 0.001) of culture positivity compared to smear-negative. Urease-positive samples demonstrated notably higher odds (7.7 times, P < 0.001) of culture positivity compared to urease-negative samples. The collection of isolates from gastric biopsies showed…

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