TY - JOUR T1 - Prospective multicentre study on antibiotic resistance of <em>Helicobacter pylori</em> strains obtained from children living in Europe JF - Gut JO - Gut SP - 1711 LP - 1716 DO - 10.1136/gut.2006.091272 VL - 55 IS - 12 AU - S Koletzko AU - F Richy AU - P Bontems AU - J Crone AU - N Kalach AU - M L Monteiro AU - F Gottrand AU - D Celinska-Cedro AU - E Roma-Giannikou AU - G Orderda AU - S Kolacek AU - P Urruzuno AU - M J Martínez-Gómez AU - T Casswall AU - M Ashorn AU - H Bodanszky AU - F Mégraud Y1 - 2006/12/01 UR - http://gut.bmj.com/content/55/12/1711.abstract N2 - Aim: To prospectively assess the antibacterial resistance rate in Helicobacter pylori strains obtained from symptomatic children in Europe. Methods: During a 4-year period, 17 paediatric centres from 14 European countries reported prospectively on patients infected with H pylori, for whom antibiotic susceptibility was tested. Results: A total of 1233 patients were reported from Northern (3%), Western (70%), Eastern (9%) and Southern Europe (18%); 41% originated from outside Europe as indicated by mother’s birth-country; 13% were &lt;6 years of age, 43% 6–11 years of age and 44% &gt;11 years of age. Testing was carried out before the first treatment (group A, n = 1037), and after treatment failure (group B, n = 196). Overall resistance to clarithromycin was detected in 24% (mean, A: 20%, B: 42%). The primary clarithromycin resistance rate was higher in boys (odds ratio (OR) 1.58; 1.12 to 2.24, p = 0.01), in children &lt;6 years compared with &gt;12 years (OR 1.82, 1.10 to 3.03, p = 0.020) and in patients living in Southern Europe compared with those living in Northern Europe (OR 2.25; 1.52 to 3.30, p&lt;0.001). Overall resistance rate to metronidazole was 25% (A: 23%, B: 35%) and higher in children born outside Europe (A: adjusted. OR 2.42, 95% CI: 1.61 to 3.66, p&lt;0.001). Resistance to both antibiotics occurred in 6.9% (A: 5.3%, B: 15.3%). Resistance to amoxicillin was exceptional (0.6%). Children with peptic ulcer disease (80/1180, 6.8%) were older than patients without ulcer (p = 0.001). Conclusion: The primary resistance rate of H pylori strains obtained from unselected children in Europe is high. The use of antibiotics for other indications seems to be the major risk factor for development of primary resistance. ER -