tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
World J Hepatol
. 2022 Nov 27;14(11):1953-1963.
doi: 10.4254/wjh.v14.i11.1953.
Liver test abnormalities in asymptomatic and mild COVID-19 patients and their association with viral shedding time
Si-Yi Yu[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jia-Rong Xie[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jun-Jun Luo[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Hong-Peng Lu[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Lei Xu[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jun-Jie Wang[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Xue-Qin Chen[SUP] 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: Asymptomatic infections and mild symptoms are common in patients infected with the Omicron variant, and data on liver test abnormalities are rare.
Aim: To evaluated the clinical characteristics of asymptomatic and mild coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with abnormal liver test results.
Methods: This retrospective study included 661 laboratory-confirmed asymptomatic and mild COVID-19 patients who were treated in two makeshift hospitals in Ningbo from April 5, 2022 to April 29, 2022. Clinical information and viral shedding time were collected, and univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were performed in statistical analyses.
Results: Of the 661 patients, 83 (12.6%) had liver test abnormalities, and 6 (0.9%) had liver injuries. Abnormal liver tests revealed a reliable correlation with a history of liver disease (P < 0.001) and a potential correlation with male sex and obesity (P < 0.05). Elevated alanine aminotransferase was reliably associated with obesity (P < 0.05) and a history of liver disease (P < 0.001). Elevated aspartate transaminase (AST) was reliably correlated with a history of liver disease (P < 0.001), and potentially correlated with age over 30 years (P < 0.05). There was a reliable correlation between AST ≥ 2× the upper limit of normal and a longer viral shedding time, especially in mild cases.
Conclusion: Obesity and a history of liver disease are risk factors for liver test abnormalities. Being male and an older age are potential risk factors. Attention should be given to liver tests in asymptomatic and mild COVID-19 patients, which has crucial clinical significance for evaluating the viral shedding time.
Keywords: Asymptomatic carriers; COVID-19; Liver test abnormalities; Mild cases; Risk factors; Viral shedding time.
. 2022 Nov 27;14(11):1953-1963.
doi: 10.4254/wjh.v14.i11.1953.
Liver test abnormalities in asymptomatic and mild COVID-19 patients and their association with viral shedding time
Si-Yi Yu[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jia-Rong Xie[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jun-Jun Luo[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Hong-Peng Lu[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Lei Xu[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jun-Jie Wang[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Xue-Qin Chen[SUP] 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 36483605
- PMCID: PMC9724107
- DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v14.i11.1953
Abstract
Background: Asymptomatic infections and mild symptoms are common in patients infected with the Omicron variant, and data on liver test abnormalities are rare.
Aim: To evaluated the clinical characteristics of asymptomatic and mild coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with abnormal liver test results.
Methods: This retrospective study included 661 laboratory-confirmed asymptomatic and mild COVID-19 patients who were treated in two makeshift hospitals in Ningbo from April 5, 2022 to April 29, 2022. Clinical information and viral shedding time were collected, and univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were performed in statistical analyses.
Results: Of the 661 patients, 83 (12.6%) had liver test abnormalities, and 6 (0.9%) had liver injuries. Abnormal liver tests revealed a reliable correlation with a history of liver disease (P < 0.001) and a potential correlation with male sex and obesity (P < 0.05). Elevated alanine aminotransferase was reliably associated with obesity (P < 0.05) and a history of liver disease (P < 0.001). Elevated aspartate transaminase (AST) was reliably correlated with a history of liver disease (P < 0.001), and potentially correlated with age over 30 years (P < 0.05). There was a reliable correlation between AST ≥ 2× the upper limit of normal and a longer viral shedding time, especially in mild cases.
Conclusion: Obesity and a history of liver disease are risk factors for liver test abnormalities. Being male and an older age are potential risk factors. Attention should be given to liver tests in asymptomatic and mild COVID-19 patients, which has crucial clinical significance for evaluating the viral shedding time.
Keywords: Asymptomatic carriers; COVID-19; Liver test abnormalities; Mild cases; Risk factors; Viral shedding time.