This open-label randomized controlled trial will be conducted in the outpatient Department of Gastroenterology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BMU), following institutional ethical approval. Consecutive adult patients presenting with dyspepsia or symptoms suggestive of peptic ulcer disease will be initially evaluated for enrollment. Eligible patients will undergo screening for Helicobacter pylori infection using a stool antigen test. Fresh stool samples will be collected in sterile containers and analyzed using a one-step chromatographic immunoassay for H. pylori antigen detection.
Patients with positive stool antigen results will undergo upper gastrointestinal endoscopy after assessment of procedural fitness and obtaining written informed consent. Endoscopy will be performed by experienced gastroenterologists using standard endoscopic equipment. During endoscopy, mucosal abnormalities including gastritis, erosions, duodenal ulcers, and gastric ulcers will be documented in a structured data collection form. Biopsy specimens from the gastric antrum and corpus will be obtained for rapid urease testing. Additional biopsies will be taken from suspicious lesions when clinically indicated.
Only patients with positive results on both stool antigen testing and rapid urease testing will be enrolled in the study. Enrolled participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio into two treatment groups. One group will receive vonoprazan-based levofloxacin-containing triple therapy, and the other group will receive esomeprazole-based levofloxacin-containing triple therapy. Both treatment regimens will be administered for 14 days. Participants will be instructed regarding medication timing and adherence.
All study medications will be supplied from the same pharmaceutical source and stored under recommended conditions. Participants will be followed at the end of therapy to assess treatment compliance and document any adverse events. A subsequent follow-up visit will be scheduled 4 weeks after completion of therapy, during which repeat stool antigen testing will be performed to assess H. pylori eradication. Participants with mucosal lesions identified at baseline endoscopy will undergo repeat upper gastrointestinal endoscopy to evaluate mucosal healing.
All study findings, including eradication outcomes, treatment adherence, adverse effects, and endoscopic healing status where applicable, will be systematically documented and analyzed upon completion of follow-up.
Statistical analysis:
The following steps will be used to analyze the collected data:
* The entered data will be checked, verified and analyzed by IBM® SPSS® Statistics version 27 (Statistical Program for Social Science) software.
* The data will be presented in tables, figures and diagrammatical form.
* Appropriate statistical test will be applied for data analysis. Numeric data (e.g. age, Likert scale score for dyspepsia) will be expressed as mean ± standard deviation and median (range), qualitative data (e.g. sex, stool antigen test, endoscopy of upper GIT) will be expressed as frequency and percentage.
* Baseline characteristics of the study patients and outcomes will be evaluated using student's t-test, Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test, as appropriate.
* Factors influencing the efficacy of the eradication therapy were assessed by univariate \& multivariate analysis
* A P-value less than 0.05 will be considered as significant at a 95% confidence interval (95% CI).
