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A study by Kasturba Medical College (KMC) and tertiary care hospital under Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) has found that a cancer-causing bacteria has become resistant to three commonly used antibiotics.
The study, ‘High primary resistance to metronidazole and levofloxacin, and a moderate resistance to clarithromycin in Helicobacter pylori isolated from Karnataka patients’, published in Gut Pathogens , the official journal of the International Society for Genomic and Evolutionary Microbiology, was the result of the joint collaboration of scientists from MAHE and Marshall Centre of the University of Western Australia.
The study noted that the bacterium that resides in the human stomach and causes ulcers, gastritis and stomach cancers has gained resistance to three commonly used antibiotics and the drugs may not be able to provide relief any more.
A total of 113 H pylori strains were isolated from gastric biopsies and tested for the study. Of this, 81.4 per cent were resistant to metronidazole, 54.9 per cent were resistant to levofoxacin, 20.4 per cent were resistant to clarithromycin.
The study observed that multi-drug resistance was detected in 59.3 per cent of total isolated strains.
The team noted that as far as its knowledge goes this is the first study to examine the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance of H pylori in Karnataka. Mamatha Ballal of MAHE was the team lead of the study. The study was to gain insights on the prevalence and mechanism of drug resistance in Helicobacter -linked diseases so as to help develop strategies with more rational antibiotic combinations for treatment.
In a statement here, MAHE said that this study can act as a strong foundation to progress in national epidemiological surveillance that will be beneficial in evidence-based treatment and also as a managerial follow-up of eradication of Helicobacter , if the first line treatment fails.
The working group at KMC plans to come out with a kit for rapid detection for drug resistance in bacteria that would help clinicians to modulate treatment regimen.
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