Year-end Sale % OFF 
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 shows a high affinity for the ACE-2 receptor, present on the epithelial cells of the upper and lower respiratory tract, within the intestine, kidneys, heart, testes, biliary epithelium, and—where it is particularly challenging—on vascular endothelial cells. Liver involvement is a rare manifestation of COVID-19. Material and Methods: We reviewed 450 patients admitted due to the fact of SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19) including 88 with liver injury. Based on medical history and previous laboratory test results, we excluded cases of underlying liver disease. The analysis involved a clinical course of COVID-19 in patients without underlying liver disease as well as the type and course of liver injury. Results: Signs and symptoms of liver injury were present in 20% of patients, mostly presenting as a mixed-type pattern of injury with less common cases of standalone hepatocellular (parenchymal) or cholestatic injury. The liver injury symptoms resolved at the end of inpatient treatment in 20% of cases. Sixteen patients died with no cases where liver injury would be deemed a cause of death. Conclusions: (1) Liver injury secondary to COVID-19 was mild, and in in 20%, the signs and symptoms of liver injury resolved by the end of hospitalization. (2) It seems that liver injury in patients with COVID-19 was not associated with a higher risk of mortality. (3) The underlying mechanism of liver injury as well as its sequelae are not fully known. Therefore, caution and further monitoring are advised, especially in patients whose liver function tests have not returned to normal values.
Highlights
The first case of infection with the new pathogenic beta-coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, was reported in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019 [1,2]
We present diverse and complex cases of liver injury secondary to a SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients hospitalized at our center in the spring of 2020
We followed-up 88 patients who presented with liver injury secondary to SARSCoV-2 infection
Summary
The first case of infection with the new pathogenic beta-coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, was reported in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019 [1,2]. The epidemic outbreak could not be confined, unlike the SARS-CoV-1 outbreak in 2002/2003 and the MERS epidemic since 2012, so the infection is a pandemic [3]. The SARS-CoV2-associated disease, termed COVID-19, manifests mainly, yet not exclusively, as interstitial pneumonia. In some cases—mostly in older patients with multiple comorbidities—it can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome and death. In patients with COVID-19, the liver is the second most commonly affected organ after the lungs [4]. Initial publications reported COVID-19-related liver injury manifesting as elevated serum aminotransferases and/or cholestatic enzymes activities in 32.6% of patients [5]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
