Egyptian Liver Journal (Jul 2022)

COVID-19 and liver diseases

  • Maged T. Elghannam,
  • Moataz H. Hassanien,
  • Yosry A. Ameen,
  • Gamal M. ELattar,
  • Ahmed A. ELRay,
  • Emad A. Turky,
  • Mohammed D. ELTalkawy

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s43066-022-00202-2
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 1
pp. 1 – 9

Abstract

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Abstract Coronavirus causes an outbreak of viral pneumonia that spread throughout the world. Liver injury is becoming more widely recognized as a component of the clinical picture of COVID-19 infection. Hepatitis with serum ALT elevation has been reported in up to half of patients. Patients with CLD were at a higher risk of decompensation with liver failure, hospitalization, and mortality. The percentage of acute liver injury (ALI) varied from 5 to 28%. COVID-19 hinders HCV elimination by 2030. It is recommended to continue treatment of chronic HCV and chronic HBV if already receiving treatment. Consider using antiviral therapy to prevent viral flare-ups in patients with occult or resolved HBV and COVID-19 who are receiving immunosuppressive agents. Patients with AIH do not have an increased risk of adverse outcomes even in high-risk areas. There is an association between MAFLD and disease progression. Patients with any type of cancer are at a higher risk of infection and are more likely to develop more severe clinical outcomes. Most societies advise against immunosuppressant modifications in patients with mild COVID-19, whereas in rare cases such as severe lymphopenia, worsening pneumonia, or bacterial or fungal superinfection, reduction or discontinuation of antiproliferative agents and lymphocyte-depleting therapies has been suggested.

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