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A standard bismuth quadruple therapy, a fluoroquinolone-containing triple (or quadruple) therapy or a proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-amoxicillin high-dose dual therapy has been recommended as a second-line treatment for Helicobacter pylori infection by the Maastricht VI/Florence Consensus Report. The major shortcoming of levofloxacin-amoxicillin triple therapy is low cure rate for eradicating levofloxacin-resistant strains. With the rising prevalence of levofloxacin-resistant strains, levofloxacin-amoxicillin triple therapy cannot reliably achieve a high eradication rate for second-line treatment of H. pylori infection in most countries now. The present article aims to review current second-line eradication regimens with a per-protocol eradication rate exceeding 85% in most geographic areas. Recently, a novel tetracycline-levofloxacin quadruple therapy consisting of a PPI, bismuth, tetracycline, and levofloxacin for rescue treatment of H. pylori infection has been developed. The new therapy achieved a higher per-protocol eradication rate than levofloxacin-amoxicillin triple treatment in a randomized controlled trial (98% versus 69%). Additionally, the tetracycline-levofloxacin quadruple therapy also exhibits a higher eradication rate than amoxicillin-levofloxacin quadruple therapy. High-dose dual PPI-amoxicillin therapy is another novel second-line treatment for H. pylori infection. The new therapy can achieve an eradication rate of 89% by per-protocol analysis for the second-line treatment in Taiwan. Recently, levofloxacin-based sequential quadruple therapy and potassium-competitive acid blocker have also been applied in the second-line treatment of H. pylori infection. A meta-analysis revealed that a vonoprazan-based regimen has significant superiority over a PPI-based regimen for second-line H. pylori eradication therapy. In conclusion, the eradication rate of levofloxacin-amoxicillin triple therapy is suboptimal in the second-line treatment of H. pylori infection now. Currently, a standard bismuth quadruple therapy (tetracycline-metronidazole quadruple therapy), a tetracycline-levofloxacin quadruple therapy, an amoxicillin-levofloxacin quadruple therapy, a levofloxacin-based sequential quadruple therapy or a high-dose PPI-amoxicillin dual therapy is recommended for the second-line treatment of H. pylori infection.

The study aimed to compare the efficacies and safety of 14-day hybrid therapy, 14-day high-dose dual therapy, and 10-day bismuth quadruple therapy in the first-line treatment of Helicobacter pylori infections. In this multicenter, open-label, randomized trial, we recruited adult H. pylori -infected patients from 9 centers in Taiwan. Subjects were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to 14-day hybrid therapy, 14-day high-dose dual therapy, or 10-day bismuth quadruple therapy. Eradication status was determined by the 13 C-urea breath test. The primary outcome was the eradication rate of H. pylori assessed in the intention-to-treat population. Between August 1, 2018, and December 2021, 918 patients were randomly assigned in this study. The intention-to-treat eradication rates were 91.5% (280/306; 95% confidence interval [CI] 88.4%-94.6%) for 14-day hybrid therapy, 83.3% (255/306; 95% CI 87.8%-95.0%) for 14-day high-dose dual therapy, and 90.2% (276/306; 95% CI 87.8%-95.0%) for 10-day bismuth quadruple therapy. Both hybrid therapy (difference 8.2%; 95% CI 4.5%-11.9%; P = 0.002) and bismuth quadruple therapy (difference 6.9%; 95% CI 1.6%-12.2%; P = 0.012) were superior to high-dose dual therapy and were similar to one another. The frequency of adverse events was 27% (81/303) with 14-day hybrid therapy, 13% (40/305) with 14-day high-dose dual therapy, and 32% (96/303) with 10-day bismuth quadruple therapy. Patients receiving high-dose dual therapy had the fewest adverse events (both P < 0.001). Fourteen-day hybrid therapy and 10-day bismuth quadruple therapy are more effective than 14-day high-dose dual therapy in the first-line treatment of H. pylori infection in Taiwan. However, high-dose dual therapy has fewer adverse effects than hybrid bismuth quadruple therapies.

INTRODUCTION:The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of 14-day vonoprazan high-dose dual, vonoprazan triple, and rabeprazole reverse hybrid therapies for the first-line treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection.METHODS:In the multicenter, randomized, open-label trial, we consecutively recruited adult H. pylori-infected patients from 6 centers in Taiwan. Subjects were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to 14-day vonoprazan high-dose dual, vonoprazan triple, or rabeprazole reverse hybrid therapy. Eradication status was determined by 13C-urea breath test. The primary outcome was the eradication rate of H. pylori assessed in the intention-to-treat population.RESULTS:Between December 2021 and April 2024, 906 patients were recruited. The eradication rates were 83.8% (253/302) for vonoprazan high-dose dual therapy, 90.1% (272/302) for vonoprazan triple therapy, and 89.1% (271/302) for rabeprazole reverse hybrid therapy in intention-to-treat analysis. Vonoprazan high-dose dual therapy was inferior to both vonoprazan triple (95% confidence interval −11.5% to −1.1%; P = 0.022) and rabeprazole reverse hybrid therapies (95% confidence interval −10.7% to 0.1%; P = 0.031). There were no significant differences in the overall proportions of patients experiencing adverse events among vonoprazan high-dose dual, vonoprazan triple, and rabeprazole reverse hybrid groups (10.3%, 15.2%, and 15.6%, respectively). Body weight ≥60 kg, clarithromycin resistance, and poor drug adherence were independent risk factors predicting eradication failure for the 3 corresponding therapies, with odds ratios of 3.2 (1.3–7.5), 4.8 (1.2–18.9), and 14.8 (2.8–78.8), respectively.DISCUSSION:Vonoprazan triple therapy and rabeprazole reverse hybrid therapy are preferable to vonoprazan dual therapy for the first-line treatment of H. pylori infection.

Background. This study was designed to compare the accuracy of three different invasive methods for the detection of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in patients with dyspepsia. These tests included culture, histology, and the rapid urease test (CLO test). Methods. H. pylori infection was diagnosed prospectively in 246 untreated dyspeptic patients who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. The gold standard for H. pylori infection was based on a positive culture or both a positive histological examination and a CLO test. Results. H. pylori was diagnosed in 33.3% of the patients. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and overall accuracy were as follows: histology from the antrum (95.12; 95.12; 90.7; 97.5; 95.12%); histology from the antrum and corpus (95.12; 95.12; 90.7; 97.5; 95.12%); histology from the corpus (76.83; 96.95; 92.65; 89.33; 90.24%); culture (91.46; 100; 100; 95.91; 97.15%); a CLO test from the antrum and corpus (85.59; 100; 100; 93.71; 95.52%); a CLO test from the antrum (64.63; 100; 100; 84.97; 88.21%); a CLO test from the corpus (69.51; 100; 100; 96.77; 89.83%), respectively. Conclusions. Antral biopsy histology and culture are the best methods for the diagnosis of H. pylori infection in our cohort of patients with dyspepsia.

The study aimed to compare the efficacy of 14-day vonoprazan high-dose dual, vonoprazan triple and rabeprazaole reverse hybrid therapies for the first-line treatment of H. pylori infection.OBJECTIVESThe study aimed to compare the efficacy of 14-day vonoprazan high-dose dual, vonoprazan triple and rabeprazaole reverse hybrid therapies for the first-line treatment of H. pylori infection.In the multi-center, randomized, open-label trial, we consecutively recruited adult H. pylori-infected patients from six centers in Taiwan. Subjects were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to 14-day vonoprazan high-dose dual, vonoprazan triple or rabeprazole reverse hybrid therapy. Eradication status was determined by 13C-urea breath test. The primary outcome was the eradication rate of H. pylori assessed in the intention-to-treat population.METHODSIn the multi-center, randomized, open-label trial, we consecutively recruited adult H. pylori-infected patients from six centers in Taiwan. Subjects were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to 14-day vonoprazan high-dose dual, vonoprazan triple or rabeprazole reverse hybrid therapy. Eradication status was determined by 13C-urea breath test. The primary outcome was the eradication rate of H. pylori assessed in the intention-to-treat population.Between December 2021 and April 2024, 906 patients were recruited. The eradication rates were 83.8% (253/302) for vonoprazan high-dose dual therapy, 90.1% (272/302) for vonoprazan triple therapy, and 89.1% (271/302) for rabeprazole reverse hybrid therapy in intention-to-treat analysis. Vonoprazan high-dose dual therapy was inferior to both vonoprazan triple (95% confidence interval: -11.5% to -1.1%; p=0.022) and rabeprazole reverse hybrid therapies (95% confidence interval: -10.7% to 0.1%; p=0.031). There were no significant differences in the overall proportions of patients experiencing adverse events among vonoprazan high-dose dual, vonoprazan triple, and rabeprazole reverse hybrid groups (10.3%, 15.2%, and 15.6%, respectively). Body weight ≥60 kg, clarithromycin resistance, and poor drug adherence were independent risk factors predicting eradication failure for the three corresponding therapies, with odds ratios of 3.2 (1.3-7.5), 4.8 (1.2-18.9), and 14.8 (2.8-78.8), respectively.RESULTSBetween December 2021 and April 2024, 906 patients were recruited. The eradication rates were 83.8% (253/302) for vonoprazan high-dose dual therapy, 90.1% (272/302) for vonoprazan triple therapy, and 89.1% (271/302) for rabeprazole reverse hybrid therapy in intention-to-treat analysis. Vonoprazan high-dose dual therapy was inferior to both vonoprazan triple (95% confidence interval: -11.5% to -1.1%; p=0.022) and rabeprazole reverse hybrid therapies (95% confidence interval: -10.7% to 0.1%; p=0.031). There were no significant differences in the overall proportions of patients experiencing adverse events among vonoprazan high-dose dual, vonoprazan triple, and rabeprazole reverse hybrid groups (10.3%, 15.2%, and 15.6%, respectively). Body weight ≥60 kg, clarithromycin resistance, and poor drug adherence were independent risk factors predicting eradication failure for the three corresponding therapies, with odds ratios of 3.2 (1.3-7.5), 4.8 (1.2-18.9), and 14.8 (2.8-78.8), respectively.Vonoprazan triple therapy and rabeprazole reverse hybrid therapy are preferable to vonoprazan dual therapy for first-line treatment of H. pylori infection.CONCLUSIONVonoprazan triple therapy and rabeprazole reverse hybrid therapy are preferable to vonoprazan dual therapy for first-line treatment of H. pylori infection.

INTRODUCTION:The study aimed to compare the efficacies and safety of 14-day hybrid therapy, 14-day high-dose dual therapy, and 10-day bismuth quadruple therapy in the first-line treatment of Helicobacter pylori infections.METHODS:In this multicenter, open-label, randomized trial, we recruited adult H. pylori-infected patients from 9 centers in Taiwan. Subjects were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to 14-day hybrid therapy, 14-day high-dose dual therapy, or 10-day bismuth quadruple therapy. Eradication status was determined by the 13C-urea breath test. The primary outcome was the eradication rate of H. pylori assessed in the intention-to-treat population.RESULTS:Between August 1, 2018, and December 2021, 918 patients were randomly assigned in this study. The intention-to-treat eradication rates were 91.5% (280/306; 95% confidence interval [CI] 88.4%-94.6%) for 14-day hybrid therapy, 83.3% (255/306; 95% CI 87.8%-95.0%) for 14-day high-dose dual therapy, and 90.2% (276/306; 95% CI 87.8%-95.0%) for 10-day bismuth quadruple therapy. Both hybrid therapy (difference 8.2%; 95% CI 4.5%-11.9%; P = 0.002) and bismuth quadruple therapy (difference 6.9%; 95% CI 1.6%-12.2%; P = 0.012) were superior to high-dose dual therapy and were similar to one another. The frequency of adverse events was 27% (81/303) with 14-day hybrid therapy, 13% (40/305) with 14-day high-dose dual therapy, and 32% (96/303) with 10-day bismuth quadruple therapy. Patients receiving high-dose dual therapy had the fewest adverse events (both P < 0.001).DISCUSSION:Fourteen-day hybrid therapy and 10-day bismuth quadruple therapy are more effective than 14-day high-dose dual therapy in the first-line treatment of H. pylori infection in Taiwan. However, high-dose dual therapy has fewer adverse effects than hybrid bismuth quadruple therapies.

A standard bismuth quadruple therapy, a fluoroquinolone-containing triple (or quadruple) therapy or a proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-amoxicillin high-dose dual therapy has been recommended as a second-line treatment for Helicobacter pylori infection by the Maastricht VI/Florence Consensus Report. The major shortcoming of levofloxacin-amoxicillin triple therapy is low cure rate for eradicating levofloxacin-resistant strains. With the rising prevalence of levofloxacin-resistant strains, levofloxacin-amoxicillin triple therapy cannot reliably achieve a high eradication rate for second-line treatment of H. pylori infection in most countries now. The present article aims to review current second-line eradication regimens with a per-protocol eradication rate exceeding 85% in most geographic areas. Recently, a novel tetracycline-levofloxacin quadruple therapy consisting of a PPI, bismuth, tetracycline, and levofloxacin for rescue treatment of H. pylori infection has been developed. The new therapy achieved a higher per-protocol eradication rate than levofloxacin-amoxicillin triple treatment in a randomized controlled trial (98% versus 69%). Additionally, the tetracycline-levofloxacin quadruple therapy also exhibits a higher eradication rate than amoxicillin-levofloxacin quadruple therapy. High-dose dual PPI-amoxicillin therapy is another novel second-line treatment for H. pylori infection. The new therapy can achieve an eradication rate of 89% by per-protocol analysis for the second-line treatment in Taiwan. Recently, levofloxacin-based sequential quadruple therapy and potassium-competitive acid blocker have also been applied in the second-line treatment of H. pylori infection. A meta-analysis revealed that a vonoprazan-based regimen has significant superiority over a PPI-based regimen for second-line H. pylori eradication therapy. In conclusion, the eradication rate of levofloxacin-amoxicillin triple therapy is suboptimal in the second-line treatment of H. pylori infection now. Currently, a standard bismuth quadruple therapy (tetracycline-metronidazole quadruple therapy), a tetracycline-levofloxacin quadruple therapy, an amoxicillin-levofloxacin quadruple therapy, a levofloxacin-based sequential quadruple therapy or a high-dose PPI-amoxicillin dual therapy is recommended for the second-line treatment of H. pylori infection.

The studies for astigmatism prediction error at different diameters using optical biometry are scant. We investigated patients who underwent cataract surgery with monofocal, nontoric intraocular lens (IOL) from 2017 through 2019 in a medical center. Patients with prior refractive surgeries, corneal opacity, or surgical complications were excluded. Corneal astigmatism (CA) was measured using AL-Scan at 2.4- and 3.3-mm diameter zones and calculated using the Barrett toric calculator preoperatively and postoperatively. The mean absolute error and centroid prediction error for the two zones were computed using double-angle plots. In total, 101 eyes of 76 patients were analyzed. Mean patient age was 68.7 ± 9.3 years and mean preoperative CA power was 0.7 ± 0.5 D. The overall centroid prediction error a 3.3 mm (0.09 ± 0.58 D@25) was significantly lower than that at 2.4 mm (0.09 ± 0.68 D@87) on the X-axis ( P  = 0.003). The 3.3-mm measurement also had a lower centroid prediction error than the 2.4-mm did for eyes with against-the-rule (ATR) and oblique astigmatism (P = 0.024; 0.002 on X-axis, respectively). The 3.3-mm measurement provided a more accurate CA estimation than the 2.4-mm did, particularly for ATR astigmatism. Diameter zone and astigmatism type should be considered crucial to precise astigmatism calculation.

Background Optic atrophy-13 with retinal and foveal abnormalities (OPA13) (MIM #165510) is a mitochondrial disease in which apparent bilateral optic atrophy is present and sometimes followed by retinal pigmentary changes or photoreceptors degeneration. OPA13 is caused by heterozygous mutation in the SSBP1 gene, associated with variable mitochondrial dysfunctions. Results We have previously reported a 16-year-old Taiwanese male diagnosed with OPA13 and SSBP1 variant c.320G>A (p.Arg107Gln) was identified by whole exon sequence (WES). This variant was assumed to be de novo since his parents were clinically unaffected. However, WES and Sanger sequencing further revealed the proband’s unaffected mother carrying the same SSBP1 variant with a 13% variant allele frequency (VAF) in her peripheral blood. That finding strongly indicates the maternal gonosomal mosaicism contributing to OPA13, which has not been reported before. Conclusions In summary, we described the first case of OPA13 caused by maternal gonosomal mosaicism in SSBP1 . Parental mosaicism could be a serious issue in OPA13 diagnosis, and appropriate genetic counseling should be considered.