Liver function test abnormalities in COVID-19 patients and factors affecting them – a retrospective study

Abstract

Aim of the study: We aimed to study liver function test abnormalities in our COVID-19 patients and factors affecting them and to evaluate whether liver function test abnormalities are related to the severity of COVID-19. Material and methods: Our retrospective study included 118 patients who were SARS-CoV-2 positive. Their median age was 40 years. Fifty percent were male. Clinical and biochemical data were collected from patient records during the period from the start of June 2020 to the end of July 2020. Liver function test abnormalities included: alanine aminotransferase (ALT) > 40 U/l, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) > 40 U/l, serum albumin < 3.5 mg/dl, total bilirubin > 1.2 mg/dl, and international normalized ratio (INR) > 1.2. Results: Forty-four percent of COVID-19 patients had liver function test (LFT) abnormalities. In patients with severe SARS-CoV-2, AST, total bilirubin and INR levels were significantly higher than in patients with the nonsevere disease. Levels of hemoglobin, C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), serum ferritin, D-dimer, and serum glucose were significantly higher in SARS-CoV-2 patients with LFT abnormalities than those with normal liver function. Conclusions: LFT abnormalities are very common in SARS-CoV2 positive patients, especially those with the severe form. Levels of ESR, CRP, serum ferritin, and D-dimer were higher in COVID-19 patients with LFT abnormalities than those with normal LFT. High serum ferritin levels might be potential risk factors for LFT abnormalities.

Study of Albumin Oxidation in COVID-19 Pneumonia Patients: Possible Mechanisms and Consequences

“…In the case of damage to the liver and other organs involved in the removal of modified albumin, high amounts of AOPPs-HSA and ALEs-HSA may not be cleared from the bloodstream as quickly as they would be in a healthy person. Liver function test abnormalities are very common in COVID-19-related pneumonia patients [ 92 , 97 , 98 ]. This may be related to liver injury by the virus itself, inflammatory responses, hepatic ischemia, hepatic hypoxia, or even tissue damage and muscle breakdown.…”

dentification of some variable parameters in serum of COVID-19 patients in comparison with control group

“…Similar findings were reported by Wang et al, 2021, that revealed elevated AST levels as its percentage recorded (33.3%) in COVID-19 infected patients and also elevated ALT (24.1%). 32 The study by Cai et 36 According to lipid profile our results showed that the level of TG was elevated in serum of COVID-19 infected patients, however, there was no significant difference between COVID-19 infected patients and the control group. This result is similar to that reported by Shahab et al, 2022, who showed no significant difference appeared in TG levels among the studied groups.…”

NucEnvDB: A Database of Nuclear Envelope Proteins and Their Interactions

“…The top enriched metabolic terms are given in the form of a volcano plot in Figure 5 B, and primarily involve processes commonly associated with viral infection and multiplication, such as RNA processing, cell cycle phases and metabolite/amino acid processing. The top associated disease terms are given in Figure 5 C. Notably, these include pathological conditions that have been directly related to COVID-19, such as respiratory function loss [ 62 ], decreased liver function [ 63 ], and lower limb weakness [ 64 ]. In addition, the analysis highlighted diseases that have been found to result in complications when coupled with COVID-19, such as Diamond–Blackfan anemia [ 65 ] and neurogenic muscular atrophy [ 66 ].…”