Published online Aug 28, 2020. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v26.i32.4753
Peer-review started: May 8, 2020
First decision: May 15, 2020
Revised: May 23, 2020
Accepted: August 12, 2020
Article in press: August 12, 2020
Published online: August 28, 2020
Processing time: 111 Days and 23.6 Hours
The outbreak of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has resulted in global emergence. With the expansion of related research, in addition to respiratory symptoms, digestive system involvement such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea have also been reported with COVID-19. Besides, abnormal liver function is also frequent in biochemical tests of COVID-19 patients, which is correlated with the severity and mortality of the disease course. The etiology of liver injury in patients with COVID-19 might include viral immunologic injury, drug-induced liver injury, the systemic inflammatory response, hypoxic hepatitis, and the exacerbation of preexisting liver disease. Although liver injuries in COVID-19 are often transient and reversible, health workers need to pay attention to preexisting liver disease, monitor liver function, strengthen supportive treatment, and reduce the chance of drug-induced liver injury. This article reviews the epidemiological characteristics, etiology, management, and preventive strategies for liver injury in patients with COVID-19.
Core tip: The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has aroused a global threat to human health. With the deepening of related research, it was found that in addition to respiratory symptoms, digestive involvements and liver injury were reported in COVID-19. Viral immunologic injury, drug-induced liver injury, secondary liver injury induced by systemic inflammatory response or hypoxia, and the exacerbation of pre-existing liver disease might be the etiologic factors for liver injury in COVID-19. Health workers need to pay attention to the management of pre-existing liver disease, monitor the liver function and strengthen supportive treatment, and reduce the chance of drug-induced liver injury with COVID-19.