BACKGROUND Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)has become a worldwide pandemic.We investigated the clinical characteristics and risk factors for liver injury in COVID-19 patients in Wuhan by retrospectively analyzing th...BACKGROUND Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)has become a worldwide pandemic.We investigated the clinical characteristics and risk factors for liver injury in COVID-19 patients in Wuhan by retrospectively analyzing the epidemiological,clinical,and laboratory data for 218 COVID-19 patients and identifying the risk factors for liver injury by multivariate analysis.AIM To investigate the clinical characteristics and risk factors for liver injury in COVID-19 patients in Wuhan.METHODS The 218 patients included 94 males(43.1%),aged 22 to 94(50.1±18.4)years.Elevated aspartate aminotransferase(AST)and alanine aminotransferase(ALT)were present in 42(53.2%)and 36(45.6%)cases,respectively,and 79(36.2%)patients had abnormally elevated transaminase levels at admission.Patients with liver injury were older than those with normal liver function by a median of 12 years,with a significantly higher frequency of males(68.4%vs 28.8%,P<0.001)and more coexisting illnesses(48.1%vs 27.3%,P=0.002).Significantly more patients had fever and shortness of breath(87.3%vs 69.8%and 29.1%vs 14.4%,respectively)in the liver injury group.Only 12(15.2%)patients had elevated total bilirubin.ALT and AST levels were mildly elevated[1-3×upper limit of normal(ULN)]in 86.1%and 92.9%of cases,respectively.Only two(2.5%)patients had an ALT or AST level>5×ULN.Elevatedγ-glutamyl transpeptidase was present in 45(57.0%)patients,and 86.7%of these had aγ-glutamyl-transpeptidase level<135 U/L(3×ULN).Serum alkaline phosphatase levels were almost normal in all patients.Patients with severe liver injury had a significantly higher frequency of abnormal transaminases than non-severe patients,but only one case had very high levels of aminotransferases.RESULTS Multivariate analysis revealed that male sex,high D-dimer level,and high neutrophil percentage were linked to a higher risk of liver injury.The early stage of COVID-19 may be associated with mildly elevated aminotransferase levels in patients in Wuhan.Male sex and high D-dimer level and neutrophil percentage may be important predictors of liver injury in patients with COVID-19.CONCLUSION Male sex and high D-dimer level and neutrophil percentage may be important predictors of liver injury in patients with COVID-19.展开更多
基金Supported by the Health and Family Planning Commission of Wuhan,No.WX18Y04.
文摘BACKGROUND Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)has become a worldwide pandemic.We investigated the clinical characteristics and risk factors for liver injury in COVID-19 patients in Wuhan by retrospectively analyzing the epidemiological,clinical,and laboratory data for 218 COVID-19 patients and identifying the risk factors for liver injury by multivariate analysis.AIM To investigate the clinical characteristics and risk factors for liver injury in COVID-19 patients in Wuhan.METHODS The 218 patients included 94 males(43.1%),aged 22 to 94(50.1±18.4)years.Elevated aspartate aminotransferase(AST)and alanine aminotransferase(ALT)were present in 42(53.2%)and 36(45.6%)cases,respectively,and 79(36.2%)patients had abnormally elevated transaminase levels at admission.Patients with liver injury were older than those with normal liver function by a median of 12 years,with a significantly higher frequency of males(68.4%vs 28.8%,P<0.001)and more coexisting illnesses(48.1%vs 27.3%,P=0.002).Significantly more patients had fever and shortness of breath(87.3%vs 69.8%and 29.1%vs 14.4%,respectively)in the liver injury group.Only 12(15.2%)patients had elevated total bilirubin.ALT and AST levels were mildly elevated[1-3×upper limit of normal(ULN)]in 86.1%and 92.9%of cases,respectively.Only two(2.5%)patients had an ALT or AST level>5×ULN.Elevatedγ-glutamyl transpeptidase was present in 45(57.0%)patients,and 86.7%of these had aγ-glutamyl-transpeptidase level<135 U/L(3×ULN).Serum alkaline phosphatase levels were almost normal in all patients.Patients with severe liver injury had a significantly higher frequency of abnormal transaminases than non-severe patients,but only one case had very high levels of aminotransferases.RESULTS Multivariate analysis revealed that male sex,high D-dimer level,and high neutrophil percentage were linked to a higher risk of liver injury.The early stage of COVID-19 may be associated with mildly elevated aminotransferase levels in patients in Wuhan.Male sex and high D-dimer level and neutrophil percentage may be important predictors of liver injury in patients with COVID-19.CONCLUSION Male sex and high D-dimer level and neutrophil percentage may be important predictors of liver injury in patients with COVID-19.