Nardo AD, Schneeweiss‐Gleixner M, Bakail M, Dixon ED, Lax SF, Trauner M. Pathophysiological mechanisms of liver injury in COVID-19.
Liver Int 2021;
41:20-32. [PMID:
33190346 PMCID:
PMC7753756 DOI:
10.1111/liv.14730]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 203] [Impact Index Per Article: 67.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The recent outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in a world-wide pandemic. Disseminated lung injury with the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is the main cause of mortality in COVID-19. Although liver failure does not seem to occur in the absence of pre-existing liver disease, hepatic involvement in COVID-19 may correlate with overall disease severity and serve as a prognostic factor for the development of ARDS. The spectrum of liver injury in COVID-19 may range from direct infection by SARS-CoV-2, indirect involvement by systemic inflammation, hypoxic changes, iatrogenic causes such as drugs and ventilation to exacerbation of underlying liver disease. This concise review discusses the potential pathophysiological mechanisms for SARS-CoV-2 hepatic tropism as well as acute and possibly long-term liver injury in COVID-19.
Collapse