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Tenofovir Induced Hypokalaemia - A Case Report, Ankisha Gupta, Kiran P. K, Rajendra Prasad S
Tenofovir Induced Hypokalaemia - A Case Report, Ankisha Gupta, Kiran P. K, Rajendra Prasad S
Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine
Tenofovir, an important medication for HIV/AIDS, carries the risk of hypokalemia in patients receiving treatment. Factors such as dietary deficits, vomiting, or diarrhea further increase this risk. Tenofovir acts as a mitochondrial toxin by inhibiting the DNA polymerase gamma enzyme, crucial for mitochondrial DNA replication. Consequently, ATP generation is depleted through the aerobic pathway, leading to dysfunction in the proximal tubule. This dysfunction manifests as renal acidosis type 2, which involves reduced bicarbonate excretion by the proximal tubule, resulting in renal bicarbonate wasting and decreased serum bicarbonate levels. Consequently, the lumen of the distal nephron becomes negatively charged, leading to …