title: Nucleos(t)ide analogues for the prevention of hepatitis B recurrence after liver transplantation do not affect serum phosphorus levels.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) constitute the backbone of treatment for the prevention of hepatitis B virus recurrence after liver transplantation (LT). Decline in serum phosphorus levels is a common side effect of nucleotide therapy. Our aim was to assess the impact of nucleotide treatment on the occurrence of hypophosphatemia after LT and determine possible predictors.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analyzed data from liver transplant recipients who had been transplanted for various indications. All patients were evaluated every 3 months. Each patient was considered to be having hypophosphatemia when at least one value of serum phosphorus ≤2.5 mg/dL was detected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 109 patients [83 males (76%)] with a mean age of 55±10 years were included. 46/67 (67%) patients with hepatitis B received a nucleotide. The rate of hypophosphatemia (55%) was not different between patients with hepatitis B and those transplanted for other indications (62%). Patients receiving a nucleotide did not run a greater risk of hypophosphatemia than patients receiving only nucleosides (59% vs. 48%, P=0.39). Male gender and everolimus use were associated with the occurrence of hypophosphatemia in patients with hepatitis B. In multivariate analysis only gender was associated with hypophosphatemia (odds ratio 11.43, 95%CI -2.11 to -0.49; P=0.0025).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hypophosphatemia occurs in more than half of liver transplant recipients regardless of the indication for LT. Male gender and everolimus use seem to predispose to hypophosphatemia, whereas the type of antiviral agent does not.
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Internal Medicine (Emmanouil Sinakos, Ioannis Goulis, Evangelos Cholongitas, Stefania Kiapidou, Evangelos Akriviadis), Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Emmanouil
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sinakos
authors.affiliation: Department of Transplant Surgery (Nikolaos Antoniadis, Ekaterini Tsakni, Vassilios Papanikolaou), Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Antoniadis
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Internal Medicine (Emmanouil Sinakos, Ioannis Goulis, Evangelos Cholongitas, Stefania Kiapidou, Evangelos Akriviadis), Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Goulis
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Internal Medicine (Emmanouil Sinakos, Ioannis Goulis, Evangelos Cholongitas, Stefania Kiapidou, Evangelos Akriviadis), Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Evangelos
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cholongitas
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Internal Medicine (Emmanouil Sinakos, Ioannis Goulis, Evangelos Cholongitas, Stefania Kiapidou, Evangelos Akriviadis), Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kiapidou
authors.affiliation: Department of Transplant Surgery (Nikolaos Antoniadis, Ekaterini Tsakni, Vassilios Papanikolaou), Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Ekaterini
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tsakni
authors.affiliation: 3 Pr. Department of Internal Medicine (Themistoklis Vasiliadis), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Themistoklis
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vasiliadis
authors.affiliation: Department of Transplant Surgery (Nikolaos Antoniadis, Ekaterini Tsakni, Vassilios Papanikolaou), Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Vassilios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Papanikolaou
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Internal Medicine (Emmanouil Sinakos, Ioannis Goulis, Evangelos Cholongitas, Stefania Kiapidou, Evangelos Akriviadis), Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Evangelos
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Akriviadis
keywords: Hepatitis B; hypophosphatemia; nucleos(t)ide; prophylaxis; transplantation