To compare eradication rates, safety and compliance of minocycline quadruple and tailored therapies in patients retreated for Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) infection.

Between January 2014 and June 2014, 135 patients with dyspepsia (18-70 years) and H. pylori infection after at least one previous eradication treatment at a tertiary hospital were randomly assigned to a 10-day treatment with minocycline quadruple therapy versus tailored triple regimen of PPI, amoxicillin and a third antibiotic. In the group of tailored therapy, medications were adjusted based on clarithromycin sensitivity and cytochrome P₄₅₀ isoenzyme 2C19 genotype. Eradication status was assessed 4-12 weeks after treatment.

Although H. pylori eradication rates were higher in the minocycline therapy group than that in the tailored therapy group in intention-to-treat [84.1% (95%CI 75.0%-93.2%) vs 75.8%(95%CI 65.1%-86.5%), P=0.245] and per-protocol [88.3% (95%CI 80.3%-96.3%) vs 79.7%(95%CI 69.7%-89.7%), P=0.197] analyses, the differences between the two groups were not statistically significant.The incidence of adverse effects and compliance between the two groups were also comparable.

The tailored therapy in this study had a poor eradication efficacy in the retreated patients with H. pylori infection.Minocycline quadruple therapy achieved a relatively satisfactory eradication efficacy and may be an alternative choice for the retreatment of H. pylori infection.

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR-TRC-13003975.

Helicobacter pylori; Drug resistance, bacterial; Minocycline; Tailored therapy