Antibiotic Resistance Patterns of Helicobacter pylori Strains Isolated from the Tibet Autonomous Region, China

Abstract Background: The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori antibiotic susceptibility in the Tibet Autonomous Region, China is not determined. This study aimed to evaluate the antibiotic resistance patterns of H. pylori isolates there. Results: A total of 153 (38.5%) H. pylori strains were successfully obtained from 397 patients in People's Hospital of Tibet Autonomous Region. The overall resistance rates were as follows: clarithromycin (27.4%), levofloxacin (31.3%), metronidazole (86.2%), amoxicillin (15.6%), tetracycline (0%), furazolidone (0.6%), and rifampicin (73.2%). Only 2.0% of H. pylori isolates were susceptible to all tested antimicrobials, with mono resistance, dual resistance, triple resistance, quadruple resistance, and quintuple resistance being 18.3%, 44.4%, 18.3%, 12.4%, and 4.6%, respectively. The resistance rates to levofloxacin (40.5%) and amoxicillin (21.5%) in strains isolated from female patients were significantly higher than those from male patients (21.6% and 9.5%, respectively). Conclusions: This study demonstrates that H. pylori resistance rates to clarithromycin, levofloxacin, metronidazole, and rifampicin were high, whereas resistance to amoxicillin, tetracycline, and furazolidone was infrequent in Chinese Tibet Autonomous Region. The high resistance to rifampicin warns further investigation of its derivative, rifabutin.