Abnormal liver chemistries as a predictor of COVID-19 severity and clinical outcomes in hospitalized patients

Table 3 Major outcome as the need for mechanical ventilation and mortality among patients with a positive test for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2

Liver function test	No mechanical ventilation ( n = 3205)	Mechanical ventilation (n = 625)	P value	Survivor (n = 3369)	Non-survivors (n = 461)	P value
Age in yr, median (IQR)	63.8 (48.4-77.7)	66.3 (54.9-75.2)	0.030	62.3 (47.7-74.7)	78.1 (66.9-87.6)	< 0.001
Comorbidities, n (%)
Chronic liver disease	385 (12)	80 (12.8)	0.58	419 (12.4)	46 (10)	0.13
Cardiovascular disease
Congestive heart failure	662 (20.7)	207 (33.1)	< 0.001	693 (20.6)	176 (38.2)	< 0.001
HT without complications	2112 (65.9)	463 (74.1)	< 0.001	2214 (65.7)	361 (78.3)	< 0.001
HT with complications	1059 (33)	288 (46.1)	< 0.001	1097 (32.6)	250 (54.2)	< 0.001
Diabetes
Diabetes without complications	1161 (36.2)	298 (47.7)	< 0.001	1269 (37.7)	190 (41.2)	0.14
Diabetes with complications	979 (30.5)	291 (46.6)	< 0.001	1076 (31.9)	194 (42.1)	< 0.001
Chronic respiratory disease	865 (27)	200 (32)	0.011	910 (27)	155 (33.6)	0.03
Chronic neurological disease	810 (25.3)	223 (35.7)	< 0.001	835 (24.8)	198 (43)	< 0.001
CKD of any stage	764 (23.8)	209 (33.4)	< 0.001	787 (23.4)	186 (40.3)	< 0.001
Anemia	1281 (40)	374 (59.8)	< 0.001	1379 (40.9)	276 (59.9)	< 0.001
ALT, median (IQR)	27 (18-46)	33 (21-54)	< 0.001	28 (18-47)	27 (17-45)	0.28
Normal, n (%)	1055 (32.9)	77 (12.3)		1011 (30)	121 (26.2)
1-2 ULN, n (%)	1065 (33.2)	160 (25.6)	< 0.001	1090 (32.4)	135 (29.3)	< 0.001
> 2-5 ULN, n (%)	786 (24.5)	223 (35.7)		902 (26.8)	107 (23.2)
> 5 ULN, n (%)	299 (9.3)	165 (26.4)		366 (10.9)	98 (21.3)
AST, median (IQR)	35 (24-54)	44.5 (31-70)	< 0.001	35 (25 -54)	45 (29 -71)	< 0.001
Normal, n (%)	1794 (58.3)	252 (41.7)		1856 (57.2)	190 (43.5)
1-2 ULN, n (%)	946 (30.7)	241 (39.9)	< 0.001	1023 (31.5)	164 (37.5)	< 0.001
> 2-5 ULN, n (%)	283 (9.2)	78 (12.9)		300 (9.2%)	61 (14.0)
> 5 ULN, < 0.001 (%)	56 (1.8)	33 (5.5)		67 (2.1%)	22 (5)
Bilirubin, median (IQR)	0.5 (0.3-0.6)	0.5 (0.4-0.7)	< 0.001	0.5 (0.3-0.6)	0.5 (0.4-0.8)	< 0.001
Normal, n (%)	2943 (94.7)	553 (90.8)		3102 (94.9)	394 (88.1)
1-2 ULN, n (%)	133 (4.3)	44 (7.2)	< 0.001	135 (4.1)	42 (9.4)	< 0.001
> 2-5 ULN, n (%)	23 (0.7)	11 (1.8)		26 (0.8)	8 (1.8)
> 5 ULN, n (%)	9 (0.3)	1 (0.2)		7 (0.2)	3 (0.7)
ALP, median (IQR))	77 (61-101)	80 (62-110)	0.062	77 (61-100)	87 (64-118)	< 0.001
Normal, n (%)	2686 (84.5)	497 (80.7)		2837 (85)	346 (75.7)
1-2 ULN, n (%)	420 (13.2)	105 (17)	0.091	435 (13)	90 (19.7)	< 0.001
> 2-5 ULN, n (%)	65 (2)	13 (2.1)		58 (1.7)	20 (4.4)
> 5 ULN, n (%)	7 (0.2)	1 (0.2)		7 (0.2)	1 (0.2)
GGT, median (IQR)	116 (56-199)	144.5 (106-235.5)	0.483	117 (56-199)	180 (116.5-447.5)	0.28

SARS-CoV-2: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2; IQR: Interquartile range; HT: Hypertension; CKD: Chronic kidney disease; ALT: Alanine aminotransferases; AST: Aspartate aminotransferase; ALP: Alkaline phosphatase; GGT: γ-glutamyl transpeptidase; T-Bil: Total bilirubin; ULN: Upper limit of normal.