The long-term reinfection rate and the course of duodenal ulcer disease after eradication of Helicobacter pylori in a developing country

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication on the natural history of duodenal ulcer disease and the reinfection rate after treatment in a developing country. METHODS: A total of 111 H. pylori-infected patients with duodenal ulcer were treated with either omeprazole or fa-motidine plus two antibiotics for 2 wk. Those failed to respond to treatment were retreated with bismuth-based triple therapy. RESULTS: The radication rate was 76 % (95 % CI: 67–83%). Eventually, H. pylori was eradicated in 96 of the 111 pa-tients (86%), who were followed-up clinically and endo-scopically for a mean of 37.2 months. The cumulative reinfection rate after eradication (Kaplan-Meier) was 8 %