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Changes in Serum Liver Function for Patients with COVID-19: A 1-Year Follow-Up Study

Xiaoli Zhu1, Jing Wang1, Juping Du1

  • 1Department of Laboratory Medicine, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Taizhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.

Infection and Drug Resistance
|April 22, 2022
PubMed

Insights

COVID-19 can cause abnormal liver function that persists for up to one year after hospital discharge. Long-term monitoring of liver function in COVID-19 patients is essential for managing potential long-term health effects.

Area of Science:

  • Hepatology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Post-COVID Conditions

Background:

  • COVID-19 is associated with liver injury during hospitalization.
  • Long-term liver function post-discharge in COVID-19 patients remains understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the prevalence and characteristics of abnormal liver function one year after COVID-19 hospital discharge.
  • To identify risk factors associated with persistent abnormal liver function.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective analysis of serum liver function tests (ALT, AST, ALP, GGT, TB) at multiple time points: hospitalization (T1), pre-discharge (T2), 2 weeks post-discharge (T3), and 1 year post-discharge (T4).
  • Definition of abnormal liver function based on exceeding upper limits of reference ranges for key liver enzymes and bilirubin.
  • Multivariate logistic regression to identify risk factors for abnormal liver function at one year.

Main Results:

  • At one year post-discharge (T4), 28.8% of COVID-19 patients exhibited abnormal liver function.
  • The proportion of patients with abnormal liver function increased from 32.2% at T1 to 54.8% at T3, with a decrease to 28.8% at T4.
  • Elevated ALT at admission was a significant risk factor (OR=2.041, P=0.012) for abnormal liver function at one year, with GGT and TB elevations being common manifestations.

Conclusions:

  • Abnormal liver function can be a persistent condition in COVID-19 survivors, extending up to one year post-discharge.
  • Dynamic, long-term monitoring of liver function is crucial for managing COVID-19 patients.
  • Admission ALT levels may indicate a higher risk for sustained liver function abnormalities post-COVID-19.
Abstract

Keywords:
COVID-19follow-upliver functionserum

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