Survival and outcomes for co-infection of chronic hepatitis C with and without cirrhosis and COVID-19: A multicenter retrospective study

Patients with Hepatitis C Undergoing Direct-Acting Antiviral Treatment Have a Lower SARS-CoV-2 Infection Rate

This study retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 602 patients with first-time positive results for the HCV nucleic acid test between 1 May 2021 and 31 March 2023, exploring the association between DAA treatment and SARS-CoV-2 infection. The results showed that 9.8% of HCV patients were co-infected with SARS-CoV-2. Gender, age, vaccination status, and HCV genotype did not significantly affect SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, patients undergoing DAA treatment showed significantly lower rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection and mortality compared to those not undergoing DAA treatment. The analysis also compared patients undergoing different DAA treatments, with Epclusa and Maviret showing superior protection against SARS-CoV-2. Furthermore, this study explored the severity and mortality of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients undergoing and having completed DAA treatment. It revealed that patients diagnosed with COVID-19 during DAA treatment experienced only mild symptoms, and none died, suggesting a potential protective effect of DAA treatment against severe outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The findings contribute to the understanding of the interplay between HCV, DAA treatment, and SARS-CoV-2 infection, highlighting the need for continued monitoring and healthcare measures for individuals with chronic conditions during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 and the Liver: A Complex and Evolving Picture

Although the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) primarily attacks the respiratory system, other organs, such as the liver, are also affected. In this overview, the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the liver in both healthy people and in those with pre-existing liver disease are documented; the relationship between coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) vaccination and liver injury is examined; the mechanism of SARS-CoV-2-associated liver injury is explored; and the long-term consequences of COVID-19 are delineated, both in people with and without pre-existing liver disease.

Features of Liver Injury in COVID-19 Pathophysiological, Biological and Clinical Particularities

The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020 has caused unprecedented pressure on public health and healthcare. The spectrum of COVID-19 onset is large, from mild cases with minor symptoms to severe forms with multi-organ dysfunction and death. In COVID-19, multiple organ damage has been described, including lung damage, acute kidney injury, liver damage, stroke, cardiovascular and digestive tract disorders. The aspects of liver injury are different, sometimes presenting with only a slight increase in liver enzymes, but sometimes with severe liver injury, leading to acute liver failure requiring liver transplantation. In patients with chronic liver disease, especially liver cirrhosis, immune dysfunction can increase the risk of infection. Immune dysfunction has a multifactorial physiopathological mechanism, implying a complement system and macrophage activation, lymphocyte and neutrophil activity dysfunction, and intestinal dysbiosis. This review aims to evaluate the most relevant studies published in the last years related to the etiopathogenetic, biochemical, and histological aspects of liver injury in patients diagnosed with COVID-19. Liver damage is more evident in patients with underlying chronic liver disease, with a significantly higher risk of developing severe outcomes of COVID-19 and death. Systemic inflammation, coagulation disorders, endothelial damage, and immune dysfunction explain the pathogenic mechanisms involved in impaired liver function. Although various mechanisms of action of SARS-CoV-2 on the liver cell have been studied, the impact of the direct viral effect on hepatocytes is not yet established.

T Cell Response to SARS-CoV-2 Coinfection and Comorbidities

For the past three years, COVID-19 has become an increasing global health issue. Adaptive immune cells, especially T cells, have been extensively investigated in regard to SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, human health and T cell responses are also impacted by many other pathogens and chronic diseases. We have summarized T cell performance during SARS-CoV-2 coinfection with other viruses, bacteria, and parasites. Furthermore, we distinguished if those altered T cell statuses under coinfection would affect their clinical outcomes, such as symptom severity and hospitalization demand. T cell alteration in diabetes, asthma, and hypertension patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection was also investigated in our study. We have summarized whether changes in T cell response influence the clinical outcome during comorbidities.

COVID-19 and hepatic injury: cellular and molecular mechanisms in diverse liver cells

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) represents a global health and economic challenge. Hepatic injuries have been approved to be associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The viral tropism pattern of SARS-CoV-2 can induce hepatic injuries either by itself or by worsening the conditions of patients with hepatic diseases. Besides, other factors have been reported to play a crucial role in the pathological forms of hepatic injuries induced by SARS-CoV-2, including cytokine storm, hypoxia, endothelial cells, and even some treatments for COVID-19. On the other hand, several groups of people could be at risk of hepatic COVID-19 complications, such as pregnant women and neonates. The present review outlines and discusses the interplay between SARS-CoV-2 infection and hepatic injury, hepatic illness comorbidity, and risk factors. Besides, it is focused on the vaccination process and the role of developed vaccines in preventing hepatic injuries due to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Risk Factors of Severe COVID-19: A Review of Host, Viral and Environmental Factors

The clinical course and outcome of COVID-19 are highly variable, ranging from asymptomatic infections to severe disease and death. Understanding the risk factors of severe COVID-19 is relevant both in the clinical setting and at the epidemiological level. Here, we provide an overview of host, viral and environmental factors that have been shown or (in some cases) hypothesized to be associated with severe clinical outcomes. The factors considered in detail include the age and frailty, genetic polymorphisms, biological sex (and pregnancy), co- and superinfections, non-communicable comorbidities, immunological history, microbiota, and lifestyle of the patient; viral genetic variation and infecting dose; socioeconomic factors; and air pollution. For each category, we compile (sometimes conflicting) evidence for the association of the factor with COVID-19 outcomes (including the strength of the effect) and outline possible action mechanisms. We also discuss the complex interactions between the various risk factors.

Risk of New-Onset Liver Injuries Due to COVID-19 in Preexisting Hepatic Conditions-Review of the Literature

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) impacted the world and caused the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The clinical manifestations of the virus can vary from patient to patient, depending on their respective immune system and comorbidities. SARS-CoV-2 can affect patients through two mechanisms: directly by targeting specific receptors or by systemic mechanisms. We reviewed data in the latest literature in order to discuss and determine the risk of new-onset liver injuries due to COVID-19 in preexisting hepatic conditions. The particular expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors is an additional risk factor for patients with liver disease. COVID-19 causes more severe forms in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), increases the risk of cirrhosis decompensation, and doubles the mortality for these patients. The coinfection SARS-CoV-2-viral hepatitis B or C might have different outcomes depending on the stage of the liver disease. Furthermore, the immunosuppressant treatment administered for COVID-19 might reactivate the hepatic virus. The high affinity of SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins for cholangiocytes results in a particular type of secondary sclerosing cholangitis. The impact of COVID-19 infection on chronic liver disease patients is significant, especially in cirrhosis, influencing the prognosis and outcome of these patients.

Integrity of the editing and publishing process is the basis for improving an academic journal’s Impact Factor

BACKGROUND

Journal Impact Factor™ (JIF) is often used to evaluate the relative reputation and quality of academic journals in their respective fields, and can greatly influence the quality and scope of subsequent manuscript submissions. Therefore, many if not all academic journals are interested in increasing their JIF, to improve their academic impact.

AIM

To determine the importance of the integrity of the editorial and publication process in improving the academic influence of academic journals and the JIF of academic journals.

METHODS

In this paper, we describe our statistical analysis of bibliometric factors - including the 2021 JIFs released in the Journal Citation Report™ 2022, discipline rankings, received and published articles in 2019-2021, and webpage visits and downloads - for seven journals published by Baishideng Publishing Group (Baishideng) and indexed in Science Citation Index Expanded™; ultimately, we introduce and discuss the editing and publishing processes of Baishideng’s journals in their entirety, as they form the basis for our objective of safeguarding and bolstering integrity in academic publication.

RESULTS

For the seven journals assessed, their 2021 JIFs were basically unchanged from 2020, with the current metric ranging from 5.374 for World Journal of Gastroenterology (WJG) to 1.534 for World Journal of Clinical Cases (WJCC). Further assessments of the journals’ bibliometrics from 2019 to 2020, showed that World Journal of Stem Cells has the highest self-citation rate (1.43%) and World Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery has the lowest (0.21%). Additionally, the total 3012 articles published during this period were cited by more than 20000 articles in approximately 8000 academic journals. Of note, the 1102 articles published in WJG were cited by articles in 3059 journals, among which 171 journals have a JIF of > 10, including internationally renowned academic journals such as CA-A Cancer Journal for Clinicians (2021 JIF 286.130, record count: 1), Lancet (2021 JIF 202.731, record count: 4), Nature Reviews Immunology (2021 JIF 108.555, record count: 2), Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology (2021 JIF 73.082, record count: 9), Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology (2021 JIF 45.042, record count: 8), Gastroenterology (2021 JIF 33.883, record count: 19), and Gut (2021 JIF 31.793, record count: 21). This suggests that Baishideng’s journals have been widely recognized for their academic quality. In the Reference Citation Analysis (RCA) database, all seven Baishideng-published journals obtained a 2022 Journal Article Influence Index (JAII). For example, WJG has a 2022 JAII of 22.048, ranking 18^th out of 102 journals in the field of gastroenterology & hepatology in the RCA, with 469909 total citations (6/102) and 21313 total articles (5/102). The numbers of manuscripts received and published in 2021 were both higher than those in 2019-2020. For example, WJCC received a total of 3650 manuscripts in 2021, which is 91.1% higher than those in 2019-2020 (average: 1910 papers/year). In 2021, WJCC published 1296 articles, representing an increase of 105.1% compared to those in 2019-2020 (average: 632 articles/year). The numbers of webpage visits and downloads received by the seven journals have increased year by year. For example, the number of total visits received by WJG in 2019-2021 was 1974052 in 2019, 2317835 in 2020 (increased by 17.4% compared with that in 2019), and 2652555 in 2021 (increased by 4.4% compared with that in 2020). The visitors were from more than 220 countries and regions worldwide, such as the United States, China, and the United Kingdom. Open access (OA) plays a vital role in improving the quality, efficiency, transparency, and integrity of academic journal publishing. From 2019 to 2021, a total of 5543 OA articles were published in the seven journals, of which 2083 (37.6%) were invited and published free-of-charge. During the same period, 1683 articles were published in WJG, and the authors were from more than 70 countries and regions. For the total 5543 articles published in the seven journals from 2019 to 2021, 3903 article quality tracking reports were received after the online publication of these articles. The quality of the articles was further evaluated through the Baishideng’s article quality and author evaluation tracking system, with 4655 articles (84.0%) having received author evaluation and feedback, which contributes to tracking metrics for authors’ satisfaction with the collective publication processes. From March 25, 2021 to June 28, 2022, the seven journals received a total of 424 reader evaluations and 229 letters from readers; this subsequent reader engagement demonstrates that the popularity of the published articles and the volume of their readership audience were improved through the reader evaluation system.

CONCLUSION

Ultimately, the findings from our bibliometric assessments indicate that establishing, promoting and actively practicing processes that safeguard and bolster the integrity of the editing and publication process also help to improve the academic influence of academic journals, which itself is the cornerstone for improving JIF.

Epidemiology of liver cirrhosis and associated complications: Current knowledge and future directions

Cirrhosis causes a heavy global burden. In this review, we summarized up-to-date epidemiological features of cirrhosis and its complications. Recent epidemiological studies reported an increase in the prevalence of cirrhosis in 2017 compared to in 1990 in both men and women, with 5.2 million cases of cirrhosis and chronic liver disease occurring in 2017. Cirrhosis caused 1.48 million deaths in 2019, an increase of 8.1% compared to 2017. Disability-adjusted life-years due to cirrhosis ranked 16th among all diseases and 7th in people aged 50-74 years in 2019. The global burden of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus-associated cirrhosis is decreasing, while the burden of cirrhosis due to alcohol and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasing rapidly. We described the current epidemiology of the major complications of cirrhosis, including ascites, variceal bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy, renal disorders, and infections. We also summarized the epidemiology of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with cirrhosis. In the future, NAFLD-related cirrhosis will likely become more common due to the prevalence of metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes, and the prevalence of alcohol-induced cirrhosis is increasing. This altered epidemiology should be clinically noted, and relevant interventions should be undertaken.

COVID-19 Severity and Mortality Among Chronic Liver Disease Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

INTRODUCTION

Pre-existing comorbid conditions in COVID-19 patients are risk factors for developing severe disease and death. We aimed to determine the association of chronic liver disease (CLD), a comorbid condition, with severity of disease and death among COVID-19 patients.

METHODS

We searched for studies reporting COVID-19 outcomes among CLD and non-CLD patients in databases including Medline, EMBASE, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library from inception of the pandemic until February 2022. Risk of bias assessment was conducted by using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for assessing the quality of nonrandomized studies in meta-analyses. We conducted a meta-analysis with a random-effects model and reported pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% CIs.

RESULTS

We included 40 studies with 908,032 participants. Most studies were conducted in China and the US. COVID-19 patients with CLD had significantly higher odds of having a severe form of COVID-19 (pooled OR = 2.44; 95% CI, 1.89-3.16) and death (pooled OR = 2.35; 95% CI, 1.85-3.00) when compared with COVID-19 patients without CLD.

CONCLUSION

The presence of CLD is significantly related to adverse clinical outcomes among COVID-19 patients in terms of severity and mortality. Clinicians should develop a comprehensive intervention plan to manage these high-risk patients and reduce COVID-19-related deaths.

Liver Injury in COVID-19 Patients with Drugs as Causatives: A Systematic Review of 996 DILI Cases Published 2020/2021 Based on RUCAM as Causality Assessment Method

Patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) commonly show abnormalities of liver tests (LTs) of undetermined cause. Considering drugs as tentative culprits, the current systematic review searched for published COVID-19 cases with suspected drug-induced liver injury (DILI) and established diagnosis using the diagnostic algorithm of RUCAM (Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method). Data worldwide on DILI cases assessed by RUCAM in COVID-19 patients were sparse. A total of 6/200 reports with initially suspected 996 DILI cases in COVID-19 patients and using all RUCAM-based DILI cases allowed for a clear description of clinical features of RUCAM-based DILI cases among COVID-19 patients: (1) The updated RUCAM published in 2016 was equally often used as the original RUCAM of 1993, with both identifying DILI and other liver diseases as confounders; (2) RUCAM also worked well in patients treated with up to 18 drugs and provided for most DILI cases a probable or highly probable causality level for drugs; (3) DILI was preferentially caused by antiviral drugs given empirically due to their known therapeutic efficacy in other virus infections; (4) hepatocellular injury was more often reported than cholestatic or mixed injury; (5) maximum LT values were found for alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 1.541 U/L and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) 1.076 U/L; (6) the ALT/AST ratio was variable and ranged from 0.4 to 1.4; (7) the mean or median age of the COVID-19 patients with DILI ranged from 54.3 to 56 years; (8) the ratio of males to females was 1.8–3.4:1; (9) outcome was favorable for most patients, likely due to careful selection of the drugs and quick cessation of drug treatment with emerging DILI, but it was fatal in 19 patients; (10) countries reporting RUCAM-based DILI cases in COVID-19 patients included China, India, Japan, Montenegro, and Spain; (11) robust estimation of the percentage contribution of RUCAM-based DILI for the increased LTs in COVID-19 patients is outside of the current scope. In conclusion, RUCAM-based DILI with its clinical characteristics in COVID-19 patients and its classification as a confounding variable is now well defined, requiring a new correct description of COVID-19 features by removing DILI characteristics as confounders.

Immunological and virological aspects of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) and hepatitis C virus

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can generate a systemic inflammatory response, characterized by a cytokine storm and associated with an exaggerated release of proinflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and IL-17, all of which can affect the liver. Here, we aimed to evaluate the cytokine profiles of patients suffering from coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 and/or hepatitis. We subjected 87 patients to serology and/or polymerase chain reaction analysis for the hepatitis C virus. They were also tested for TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-17 using commercial immunoassay kits. The test results of the COVID-19/hepatitis C patients (n = 8) were compared with that of the negative controls (n = 28), hepatitis C patients (n = 29), and COVID-19 patients (n = 22). All COVID-19 patients (mono- and coinfected) expressed high levels of cytokines. The COVID-19/hepatitis patients exhibited higher levels of IL-6 (6.33 ± 3.9 pg/ml) and IL-17 (102.23 ± 2.7 pg/ml); however, TNF-α values were lower (68.08 ± 15.88 pg/ml), as compared with that of the hepatitis patients (p < 0.001), and lower than that of the COVID-19 patients and exceptionally for TNF-α (p < 0.05). These data highlight the importance of monitoring patients with hepatitis and COVID-19.