COVID-19 sufferers present liver damage months after an infection

COVID-19 an infection is related to elevated liver stiffness, an indication of doable long-term liver damage, based on the outcomes of a brand new examine being offered at this time on the annual assembly of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

“Our examine is a part of rising proof that COVID-19 an infection could result in liver damage that lasts properly after the acute sickness,” stated Firouzeh Heidari, M.D., a post-doctorate analysis fellow at Massachusetts Normal Hospital in Boston.

Liver stiffness is a marker of liver harm, akin to irritation or fibrosis. Fibrosis is the buildup of scar tissue within the liver. Over time, wholesome liver tissue diminishes, and the liver can not perform correctly. Progressive fibrosis can result in liver most cancers and liver failure.

Within the retrospective examine, the researchers in contrast liver stiffness of sufferers with a historical past of COVID-19 an infection to 2 management teams. All sufferers underwent ultrasound shear wave elastography between 2019 and 2022 at Massachusetts Normal Hospital. Shear wave elastography is a specialised approach that makes use of sound waves to measure the stiffness of tissue.

The sufferers have been categorized into considered one of three teams based mostly on once they underwent elastography and whether or not they examined constructive for COVID-19. The COVID-19 constructive group contained 31 sufferers who had a constructive COVID-19 PCR take a look at outcome at the least 12 weeks earlier than the elastography examination. The pandemic management group consisted of a random pattern of fifty sufferers who underwent elastography throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and had a historical past of solely damaging COVID-19 PCR take a look at outcomes. The pre-pandemic management group consisted of a random pattern of fifty sufferers who underwent an elastography examination previous to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The imply age was 53.1 years for the COVID-positive sufferers, 55.2 years for the pandemic management group and 58.2 years for the pre-pandemic management group. Of the whole cohort, 67 have been ladies. Within the COVID-positive group, elastography exams have been carried out a median of 44 weeks after a constructive PCR take a look at outcome.

After controlling for age, intercourse and time interval, a statistical evaluation of the elastography outcomes revealed that COVID-positive sufferers had a statistically important larger liver stiffness than the management sufferers.

COVID-positive sufferers had a better median stay stiffness (7.68 kPa) than pandemic management sufferers (5.99 kPa).

Unexpectedly, the pre-pandemic management group additionally had a better median stiffness (7.01) in comparison with pandemic management group. The explanation for this discovering will not be but understood however is believed to be a results of altering referral patterns throughout the pandemic. Moreover, sufferers referred for elastography earlier than the pandemic have been famous to be older than sufferers referred after the beginning of the pandemic.

“We do not but know if elevated liver stiffness noticed after COVID-19 an infection will result in hostile affected person outcomes,” Dr. Heidari stated. “We’re at present investigating whether or not the severity of acute COVID-related signs is predictive of long-term liver damage severity. We hope to counterpoint our present database with extra affected person knowledge and a broader scope of co-variates to higher perceive the post-acute results of COVID-19 throughout the liver.”

Co-authors are Theodore Pierce, M.D., Anthony Samir, M.D., M.P.H., Arinc Ozturk, M.D., Madhangi Parameswaran, M.B.B.S., M.Res., Marian Martin, M.D., M.P.H., and Hannah Edenbaum, M.S.