{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,12]],"date-time":"2025-10-12T01:49:41Z","timestamp":1760233781625,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":28,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,9]],"date-time":"2021-02-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1612828800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Liver injury\u2014expressed as elevated liver enzymes\u2014is common in patients with COVID-19. Little is known about the potential mechanisms of liver damage by SARS-CoV-2. A direct cytopathic effect on hepatocytes as well as injury related to hypoxia or hepatotoxicity are being considered. The aim of the study was to compare the clinical characteristic of COVID-19 disease in patients with normal and abnormal liver enzymes activity. A group of 150 patients with COVID-19, hospitalized in our center, was analyzed. Patients with the known liver comorbidities were excluded (n = 15). Clinical features and laboratory parameters were compared between patients with normal and abnormal aminotransferase values. Liver injury expressed as any alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevation was noted in 45.6% of patients hospitalized due to COVID-19. The frequencies of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) elevation were lower. It was noted that elevated ALT\/AST unfavorably affected other parameters related to liver function such as albumin level; gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGTP); and partly, ALP activity and influenced inflammation-related parameters. The most probable cause of mild hepatitis during COVID-19 was anoxia and immune-mediated damage due to the inflammatory response following SARS-CoV-2 infection. A direct cytopathic effect of SARS-CoV-2 on hepatocytes, albeit less probable, can be considered as well. The use of potentially hepatotoxic drugs may contribute to liver damage.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm10040672","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,12]],"date-time":"2021-02-12T00:49:26Z","timestamp":1613090966000},"page":"672","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":15,"title":["Hepatotropic Properties of SARS-CoV-2\u2014Preliminary Results of Cross-Sectional Observational Study from the First Wave COVID-19 Pandemic"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"given":"Hanna","family":"Wi\u015bniewska","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious Diseases, Hepatology and Liver Transplantation, Pomeranian Medical University, 71-455 Szczecin, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3430-9079","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Karolina","family":"Skonieczna-\u017bydecka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biochemical Sciences, Pomeranian Medical University, 71-460 Szczecin, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1869-1084","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mi\u0142osz","family":"Parczewski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious, Tropical Diseases, and Immune Deficiency, Pomeranian Medical University, 71-455 Szczecin, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jolanta","family":"Ni\u015bcigorska-Olsen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious, Tropical Diseases, and Immune Deficiency, Pomeranian Medical University, 71-455 Szczecin, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ewa","family":"Karpi\u0144ska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious Diseases, Hepatology and Liver Transplantation, Pomeranian Medical University, 71-455 Szczecin, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Monika","family":"Hornung","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious Diseases, Hepatology and Liver Transplantation, Pomeranian Medical University, 71-455 Szczecin, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Krzysztof","family":"Jurczyk","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious Diseases, Hepatology and Liver Transplantation, Pomeranian Medical University, 71-455 Szczecin, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Magdalena","family":"Witak-J\u0119dra","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious, Tropical Diseases, and Immune Deficiency, Pomeranian Medical University, 71-455 Szczecin, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"\u0141ukasz","family":"Laurans","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious Diseases, Hepatology and Liver Transplantation, Pomeranian Medical University, 71-455 Szczecin, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Katarzyna","family":"Maciejewska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious, Tropical Diseases, and Immune Deficiency, Pomeranian Medical University, 71-455 Szczecin, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"\u0141ukasz","family":"Socha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious Diseases, Hepatology and Liver Transplantation, Pomeranian Medical University, 71-455 Szczecin, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Agnieszka","family":"Leonciuk","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious, Tropical Diseases, and Immune Deficiency, Pomeranian Medical University, 71-455 Szczecin, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Dorota","family":"Bander","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious Diseases, Hepatology and Liver Transplantation, Pomeranian Medical University, 71-455 Szczecin, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Malwina","family":"Karasi\u0144ska-Cie\u015blak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious, Tropical Diseases, and Immune Deficiency, Pomeranian Medical University, 71-455 Szczecin, 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