COVID-19-associated hepatic injury: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 20:13, 12 July 2020
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] ; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Tayyaba Ali, M.D.[2]
Overview
Historical Perspective
- Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has shown manifestations of liver impairment in up to 60% of patients.[1]
- Liver impairment has also been reported in patients infected with MERS-CoV.[2]
- According to 12 clinical studies, 14.8%-53% of COVID-19 patients have liver impairment, suggesting COVID-19-associated hepatic injury, a common complication observed among COVID-19 patients.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]
Classification
There is no formal classification of liver damage associated with COVID-19 but, we attempt to divide the entity based on the etiology and mechanism of liver damage:[18][19][8][20][21][22][23][24]
- Direct viral damage to hepatocytes
- Drug induced liver injury
- Overactive immune response
- Ischemia and reperfusion injury
- Aggravation/ Recurrence of existing liver disease- According to the data available, 2% to 11% of COVID-19 patients had pre-existing chronic liver disease.
Pathophysiology
- Hepatic Injury through ACE2 receptors:
- S protein facilitates SARS-CoV-2 to enter host cells through binding to ACE2 receptors. ACE2 is the primary receptors that enable the entry of SARS-CoV into different target tissues, including hepatic cells.[25][26]
- According to a biopsy performed in a COVID-19 patient after death, moderate microvascular steatosis, and mild portal and lobular activity in liver tissue were observed.[27]
- Another four autopsies were performed on COVID-19 patients. In 2 cases, mild zone 3 sinusoidal dilatation, patchy hepatic necrosis, minimal increase in sinusoidal lymphocytes were observed in hepatocytes. In one case, RT-PCR showed direct evidence of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA sequence in the liver cells.[28]
- The expression of ACE2 receptors in liver tissue is only 0.31%. The expression of ACE2 receptors is 20 times higher in bile duct epithelial cells as compared to hepatocytes.[29] Because of the low number of ACE2 expression in the liver, further research is needed to investigate direct damage of liver tissue by SARS-CoV-2.
- Antibody-mediated Hepatic Injury:
- Antibody-mediated liver injury may occur in patients with SARS.[30] It involves the binding of a virus-specific antibody to Fc receptors (FcR) and complement receptor (CR) that enables the virus to enter immune cells such as granulocytes, monocytes, and macrophages. The virus can damage the liver by constant replication in these immune cells.[31] Further investigation is required to understand whether SARS-CoV-2 causes liver injury through this pathway.
- Cytokine-mediated Hepatic Injury:
- The exact mechanism of liver injury is still unclear. There are several proposed mechanisms in an effort to understand the pathogenesis of hepatic injury but the hepatic complications in COVID-19 patients are described as multifactorial and heterogenous. A few of the proposed mechanisms include:[18][19][8][20][21][22][23][24]
- Hepatocyte injury: Liver cell injury can be due to direct viral damage. The detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in stool gives a notion of viral exposure of the liver cells, directly causing the damage. The studies have not explained the specific mechanisms of hepatocyte injury as it contains minimal ACE2 receptor.
- Chalangiocyte damage: Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor expression is enriched in cholangiocytes and not in hepatocytes, indicating that SARS-CoV-2 might directly bind to ACE2-positive cholangiocytes to dysregulate liver function. The studies have not yet answered about the specific mechanisms of cholangiocytes injury, and how hepatocyte injury occurs as it lacks the ACE2 receptor.
- Immune causes: Overactivated immune reaction causing cytokine storm and chemokine release (e.g; TNF‐α, interferon‐γ, and interleukins) leads to systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and cellular necrosis due to ischemia.
- Drug induced liver injury: Of the drugs known to cause liver damage include antimalarial drugs, antibiotics and acetaminophen overdose. They are all used in the treatment of patients with COVID-19. Ritonavir and antiviral drug use in the treatment has been reported to cause liver damage via CYP3A metabolic pathways via ROS to cause membrane lipid peroxidation and organelle damage. Increasing the drug types used further increase the incidence of liver damage. The combined use of lopinavir and ritonavir was also found to lead to an increase in the chances of liver injury.
- Sepsis
- Reperfusion injury: COVID‐19 being primarily a respiratory disease explains the hypoxemia but some systemic complications such as ARDS, SIRS or MODS can further increase the chances of hypoxia. Cellular hypoxia causing ischemia leads to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) depletion and eventually hepatocyte death.
- Hypoxia can also cause an increase in the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) due to oxidative stress. Thus, certain oxidation sensitive transcription factors are activated and cause the release of certain pro‐inflammatory factors and induce liver damage.
- Others: There can be other possible causes, such as positive pressure ventilation related liver congestion and myositis but there is no literature discussing the possibilities.
- On microscopic pathology, the main pathologic finding is hepatic sinusoidal dilatation and mild lymphocytic infiltration. Mild- moderate microvascular steatosis and multifocal hepatic necrosis have also been reported in some cases.[20]
Clinical Features
Differentiating [COVID-19] associated hepatic injury from other causes of hepatic injury
- There are different etiologies of hepatic injury in general but a hepatic injury in a patient having COVID-19 infection itself can be due to different reasons. Although different etiologies of the liver disease show some difference in biochemistry, we lack sufficient data to suggest a specific biochemical factor characteristic, pathognomic of COVID-19 related liver injury. Abnormal liver biochemical markers at the time of diagnosis can give a clue of chronic liver disease in a patient.
- Deteriorating liver function tests during the course of hospitalization may point towards drug induced liver injury or complication of COVID-19.
Epidemiology and Demographics
- In a cohort of 41 COVID-19 patients, levels of aspartate aminotransferase increased by 15 (37%) patients. Among these 15 patients, eight (62%) of 13 ICU patients and seven (25%) of 28 non-ICU patients.[35]
- According to a single-center study of 99 COVID-19 patients. A wide range of liver function abnormality was observed among 43 patients, with alanine aminotransferase (ALT) or aspartate aminotransferase (AST) above the normal range. A severe liver function damage was observed in one patient (ALT 7590 U/L, AST 1445 U/L).[4]
Author | Group | Number of patients | Alanine
aminotransferase (IU) |
Aspartate
aminotransferase (IU) |
Prothrombin
time (s) |
Bilirubin (μmol/L) | Elevated lactate
dehydrogenase, creatinine kinase, or myoglobin |
Mortality (%) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Guan et al (2020) | ICU or death | 67 | Not known | Not known | Not known | Not known | Yes | 22% (day 51) |
Huang et al (2020) | ICU | 13 | 49 (29–115) | 44 (32–70) | 12·2 (11·2–13·4) | 14·0 (11·9–32·9) | Yes | 38% (day 37) |
Chen et al (2020) | Hospitalised | 99 | 39 (22–53) | 34 (26–48) | 11·3 (1·9) | 15·1 (7·3) | Yes | 11% (day 24) |
Wang et al (2020) | ICU | 36 | 35 (19–57) | 52 (30–70) | 13·2 (12·3–14·5) | 11·5 (9·6–18·6) | Yes | 17% (day 34) |
Shi et al (2020) | Hospitalised | 81 | 46 (30) | 41 (18) | 10·7 (0·9) | 11·9 (3·6) | Unclear | 5% (day 50) |
Xu et al (2020) | Hospitalised | 62 | 22 (14–34) | 26 (20–32) | Not known | Not known | Unclear | 0% (day 34) |
Yang et al (2020) | ICU | 52 | Not known | Not known | 12·9 (2·9)* | 19·5 (11·6)* | Not described | 62% (day 28) |
Extracted from all
studies above |
Chronic liver
disease |
42 | Not known | Not known | Not known | Not known | Not known | 0–2%†
GenderAlthough is very limited data available, the incidence of liver injury associated with COVID-19 is reported to be higher in males.[36] Risk Factors
Natural History, Complications and Prognosis
DiagnosisDiagnostic Criteria
Symptoms
Physical Examination
Laboratory Findings
Imaging Findings
Other tests
TreatmentMedical TherapyCurrently there is no specific treatment for patient with COVID-19 associated liver injury. The mainstay of medical therapy is to target the viral infection and control and prevent inflammation.[21][24]
SurgeryPrevention
References
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