Prevalence of clarithromycin resistance in Helicobacter pylori in Santiago, Chile, estimated by real-time PCR directly from gastric mucosa.

We estimated a prevalence of clarithomycin-resistance of 31.8% in Santiago, Chile. Three of them harbor inactivating mutations in rdxA and 11 had missense mutations likely conferring metronidazole resistance. Our results require further confirmation. Nevertheless, they are significant as an initial approximation in re-evaluating the guidelines for H.pylori eradication currently used in Chile.