The Effect of Tenofovir on Renal Function in Hiv-Positive Patients in Lesotho

Lesotho introduced tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) for first-line antiretroviral treatment (ART) in 2008. The use of TDF has been associated with renal toxicity. The study utilised an analytical design to compare retrospective creatinine clearance (CrCl) data of 312 antiretroviral treatment naive adults exposed to TDF and 173 unexposed patients. Impaired renal function was defined as CrCl 60 (p=0.004) were significantly associated with CrCl<50 ml/min outcome. TDF is a weak contributing factor to renal impairment. Routine baseline renal function screening should be adopted to prevent patients with impaired renal function receiving TDF.