Abnormal Liver Function Test in Patients Infected with Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2): A Retrospective Single-Center Study from Spain
Open Access
- 3 March 2021
- journal article
- research article
- Published by MDPI AG in Journal of Clinical Medicine
- Vol. 10 (5), 1039
- https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10051039
Abstract
The outbreak of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 epidemic has rapidly spread and still poses a serious threat to healthcare systems worldwide. In the present study, electronic medical records containing clinical indicators related to liver injury in 799 COVID-19-confirmed patients admitted to a hospital in Madrid (Spain) were extracted and analyzed. Correlation between liver injury and disease outcome was also evaluated. Serum levels of Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), Gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and AST/ALT ratio were elevated above the Upper Limit of Normal (ULN) in 25.73%, 49.17%, 34.62%, 24.21%, 55.84% and 75% of patients, respectively. Interestingly, significant positive correlation between LDH levels and the AST/ALT ratio with disease outcome was found. Our data showed that SARS-CoV-2 virus infection leads to mild, but significant changes in serum markers of liver injury. The upregulated LDH levels as well as AST/ALT ratios upon admission may be used as additional diagnostic characteristic for COVID-19 patients.Keywords
Funding Information
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI16/01126)
- Departamento de Salud, Gobierno de Navarra (58/17)
- Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (SAF2014-54708-R, SAF2016-78711, SAF2017-87919-R, RYC-2014-15242, RYC-2015-17438)
- Dirección General de Universidades e Investigación (S2017/BMD-3727, Y2018/NMT-4949)
- ERAB: The European Foundation for Alcohol Research (18/14)
- AMMF Foundation (2018/117)
- Universidad Complutense de Madrid (25/2019, CT82/20-CT83/20)
- European Cooperation in Science and Technology (CA17112)
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft ((SFB/TRR57/P04, SFB 1382-403224013/A02 and DFG NE 2128/2-1))
- Gilead Sciences (Liver Scholar Award)
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