Abstract: Objective To investigate hypophosphatemia in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with adefovir dipivoxil treatment, and its effect on bone mineral density.Methods One hundred and forty-eight CHB patients who had received adefovir dipivoxil treatment over 2 years were enrolled in the study. Fasting peripheral blood were collected for detection of phosphorus concentration, then high risk factors for hypophosphatemia and its effects on abnormal bone mineral density were analyzed.Results Among the 148 patients, hypophosphatemia occurred in 42 cases (28.4%) and abnormal bone mineral density was detected in 35 cases (23.6%). Age over 60 and continuous medication of adefovir dipivoxil for more than 48 months were high risk factors hypophosphatemia. The incidence of abnormal bone mineral density in patients with hypophosphatemia was higher than that in patients with normal serum phosphate levels (χ²=60.101, P<0.05). Level of serum phosphorus showed significantly negative correlation with incidence rate of abnormal bone mineral density (P<0.05).Conclusion Long-term medication of adefovir dipivoxil for CHB patients can lead to kidney damages with manifestation of hypophosphatemia, hypophophatemic oestemalacia, osteoporosis and other bone mineral density anomaly symptoms.

Key words: Adefovir dipivoxil; Chronic hepatitis B; Hypophosphatemia; Bone mineral density