Direct Detection of Helicobacter pylori Mutations Associated with Macrolide Resistance in Gastric Biopsy Material Taken from Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Subjects

One hundred forty gastric biopsies were tested by microbiological methods and by amplifying a sequence of 23S rRNA and identifying mutations associated to clarithromycin resistance. Seventy-six specimens were positive for Helicobacter pylori. Mutational analysis revealed alterations in 18 (39.1%) of 46 and 2 (8.7%) of 23 samples from human immunodeficiency virus-seropositive and -seronegative persons, respectively. The results of the mutational analysis fully correlated with those of the susceptibility tests.