Background: Short-term use of tenofovir (TDF) has been associated with bone mineral loss in adults and children.
Objective: To assess whether the substitution of stavudine with TDF would result in decreased bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) accrual in HIV-infected children.
Methods: The lumbar spine and whole-body BMC and BMD were measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry in 16 HIV-infected children (age range: 6.4-17.9 years) on stable highly active antiretroviral therapy. Bone measurements were obtained 12 months before the switch, at baseline, and 12 months after switching to TDF. Expected changes in bone measurements were calculated from cross-sectional data obtained from 166 healthy children.
Results: The BMC and BMD increments observed before switching therapy did not differ from expected increments. Similarly, the changes detected during treatment with TDF did not differ significantly from those calculated in healthy controls.
Conclusions: Substitution to a TDF-containing antiretroviral regimen does not seem to impair bone mineral accrual in children showing a good immunologic response to antiretroviral treatment.