Impact of Coronavirus Diseases on Liver Enzymes

Naeem, Ammara; Khamuani, Manoj Kumar; Kumar, Pardeep; Pooja, FNU; Raj, Deepak; Lal, Kirshan; Shahid, Wajeeha; Mahar, Waseem; Rizwan, Amber; Fatima, Aliya

Introduction Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affects various organs including lungs, brain, and eyes. Very limited data is available related to the effect of COVID-19 on liver. This study is conducted to determine the impact of COVID-10 on liver by measuring the frequency of participants with deranged liver enzymes in patients diagnosed with COVID-19. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in a COVID-19 unit of a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan from February 2021 to June 2021. A total of 900 patients admitted with COVID-19 were enrolled in the study after seeking informed consent. After enrollment, taking history and vitals, 5 mL blood was drawn via phlebotomy and sent to the laboratory to test for C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, and liver enzymes. Results Overall 141 (28.2%) participants had a minimum of one deranged liver enzyme. The most commonly deranged liver enzyme found was alanine transaminase (ALT), both in males (19.9%) and females (21.3%), followed by aspartate transaminase (male: 18.3% and female: 20.3%). Serum total bilirubin was deranged in both males (8.4%) and females (8.3%). There was no significant difference in the gender-wise prevalence of deranged liver enzymes. Conclusion Liver enzymes are frequently deranged in patients admitted with COVID-19. Liver enzymes should be regularly monitored during the course of management of COVID-19, as various medications used in the treatment of COVID-19 may further deteriorate liver enzymes and may cause long-term damage.