Hepatocellular Damage and Severity of COVID-19 Infection in Iraqi Patients: A Biochemical Study

Abstract

Background: Infection with COVID-19 can cause hepatic damages. Here, we aimed to examine the effect of COVID-19 infection on the serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), albumin, and procalcitonin (PCT) concentrations as markers to evaluate the liver function. Methods: In this study, 56 patients infected with COVID-19 and 28 healthy controls was recruited in Private Nursing Home Hospital of the Medical City, Baghdad. Patients were subdivided according to disease severity into severe and non-severe groups. Results: The results showed that the mean±SD value of serum AST activity and serum PCT concentrations were elevated significantly in severe group in comparison to healthy control, (p< 0.01, p< 0.001) respectively. Also, the mean ±SD value of serum ALT activity was higher in severe group compared to the healthy subjects and non-severe ones, significantly (p< 0.0001, p< 0.003) respectively. While the mean value of serum albumin concentration of severe patients and non-severe group were significantly decreased compared to healthy subjects. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) revealed that ROC value of albumin (0.992) differentiates between nonsevere infected patients and healthy subjects, while the ROC value of serum ALT activity (0.735) differentiates between severe COVID-19 patients and non-severe ones. Conclusions: Changes of liver function parameters in COVID-19 patients were mild to moderate and measurement of serum ALT activity is the best biomarker in differentiation between non-severe patients and severe ones and albumin concentration is excellent in discrimination between patients and controls