Brief Article
Copyright ©2010 Baishideng. All rights reserved
World J Gastroenterol. May 14, 2010; 16(18): 2272-2277
Published online May 14, 2010. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v16.i18.2272
Distribution of gyrA mutations in fluoroquinolone-resistant Helicobacter pylori strains
Li-Hui Wang, Hong Cheng, Fu-Lian Hu, Jiang Li
Li-Hui Wang, Hong Cheng, Fu-Lian Hu, Jiang Li, Department of Gastroenterology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China
Author contributions: Wang LH and Li J performed this work; Cheng H designed this study and collected the H. pylori strains; Hu FL directed the design and performance of this work.
Supported by A Grant from the Beijing Medicine Research and Development Fund, No. 2005-1008
Correspondence to: Hong Cheng, Associate Professor, Department of Gastroenterology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China. chenghong@medmial.com.cn
Telephone: +86-10-83572226 Fax: +86-10-66518105
Received: January 2, 2010
Revised: February 19, 2010
Accepted: February 26, 2010
Published online: May 14, 2010
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the resistance of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) to ciprofloxacin (CIP), levofloxacin (LVX) and moxifloxacin (MOX) in the Beijing area and to elucidate the resistance mechanisms.

METHODS: Seventy-nine H. pylori clinical strains, isolated from patients who had undergone upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in Peking University First Hospital from 2007 to 2009, were tested for their susceptibility to CIP, LVX and MOX using the E-test method. H. pylori strain 26695 was included in the susceptibility testing as a control strain. According to the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values, a strain was classified as resistant to CIP, LVX or MOX when the MIC was > 1 μg/mL. We amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequenced the quinolone resistance-determining regions of the gyrA and gyrB genes from 29 quinolone-resistant and 16 quinolone-susceptible H. pylori strains selected at random.

RESULTS: In this study, the resistance rates of H. pylori to CIP, LVX or MOX were 55.7% (44/79), and the primary resistance rates were 26.6% (21/79). Patients with secondary resistance had received LVX in previous eradication treatments, but not MOX or CIP. Forty-five strains, including 29 CIP, LVX or MOX-resistant strains (MIC: 1.5-32 μg/mL) and 16 susceptible strains, were selected randomly from the 79 strains and used in PCR analysis. Among these 45 strains, 27 resistant strains had mutations in the gyrA gene, including 11 strains with mutations corresponding to Asp-91 (MIC: 2-32 μg/mL), one of which also had a mutation corresponding to Val-150, and 16 strains had mutations at Asn-87 (MIC: 4-32 μg/mL), three of which also had mutations corresponding to Arg-140 or Val-150. In addition, Arg-140, Val-150 or Ala-97 mutations were separately detected in three susceptible strains. Analysis of the gyrB gene showed that one strain of low resistance had a mutation corresponding to Ser-457 that coexisted with an Asp-91 mutation. There was a significant difference in the occurrence of mutations in the gyrA gene between CIP, LVX and MOX-resistant and -susceptible strains (P < 0.05), but 2 resistant strains were found to possess no quinolone resistance-determining region mutations.

CONCLUSION: Resistance is primarily mediated through point mutations in gyrA. Whether other mechanisms are responsible for resistance in strains without mutations in the QRDR should be detected.

Keywords: Helicobacter pylori; Antibiotic resistance; Quinolones; Mutation; gyrA