5. Conclusion
In conclusion, long-term (an average term of 5 years), low-dose (10 mg/d) ADV therapy was an important cause of adult-onset, hypophosphatemic osteomalacia in Chinese individuals. Clinicians should be aware of this side effect when using ADV for antiviral therapy. For early diagnosis, we suggest clinicians to pay more attention to the serum ALP and serum phosphorus level during the course of ADV treatment. Especially when other indexes of the hepatic function, such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and γ- glutamyltranspeptidase (γ-GT), are all within normal levels, only the ALP level above normal, we should be warned of ADV-induced hypophosphatemic osteomalacia. Urine routine and arterial blood gas tests are needed when necessary. According to our results, some people may have a genetic predisposition to developing ADV-associated tubulopathy and secondary hypophosphatemic osteomalacia, which may contribute to inter-individual differences in the renal tolerance to ADV. Furthermore, larger studies are needed to establish this relationship. If these preliminary data are confirmed in prospective studies, then ADV may not be suggested for patients with predisposing genotypes as the antiviral therapy or close monitoring of tubular function must be warranted when they receiving ADV treatment.