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Errors in a Meta-analysis of Treatments for Helicobacter pylori Infection
- Nadim S. Jafri, MD; and
- Colin W. Howden, MD
- From Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611.
IN RESPONSE:
We thank Dr. Gatta and colleagues for their comments. Our rationale for including the trial that had used a regimen of ranitidinebismuthcitrate (1) is given in our article. However, a sensitivity analysis had excluded that trial by examining only studies that had compared 10 days of sequential treatment with 7 days of triple therapy (Table 3). Inclusion or exclusion of that trial did not substantially alter our results.
Regarding the issue of clarithromycin-resistant strains in the study by De Francesco and colleagues (2), Gatta and colleagues are correct. We regret our error in the transcription of these data. The corrected analysis still demonstrates an advantage of sequential over triple therapy.
We apologize for the erroneous assumption that 2 trials (3, 4) had included patients from a U.S. site. The fact that none of the trials had included U.S. patients underscores our recommendation that sequential treatment should be studied in randomized, controlled trials in the United States.
Annals recently published an erratum to correct these errors (5).
Colin W. Howden, MD
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Chicago, IL 60611
Article and Author Information
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Potential Financial Conflicts of Interest: Consultancies: C.W. Howden (Meretek, TAP, Takeda, Santarus, and Novartis). Honoraria: C.W. Howden (AstraZeneca, Meretek, and Santarus). Grants received: C.W. Howden (AstraZeneca).
