Abstract
BACKGROUND: According to recent research, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can cause liver injury, which may be linked to a poorer prognosis. In this retrospective study, we evaluated the incidence of high liver enzyme levels in patients with COVID-19 and their correlation with the severity and prognosis of clinical outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed from March 2020 to October 2020 at Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz Hospital (PMAH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Demographic information of COVID-19 patients as well as data on clinical features and laboratory parameters were collected. Pearson's correlation (r) test was used to assess the correlation between elevated liver enzymes and COVID-19 severity. The multivariate logistic binary regression analysis was used to identify the predictors of elevated liver enzyme levels and mortality among patients with COVID-19. RESULTS: This cohort included 1033 patients, 73% of whom were male, with a mean age of 49.9 years. Elevated liver enzymes were observed in 52.7% of patients, most commonly with a hepatitis pattern (63.1%). Elevated levels of hemoglobin, creatine kinase-myocardial band, and C-reactive protein, as well as pneumoniae, the requirement of an intensive care unit, comorbidities, and the use of paracetamol, β-lactamase, and steroids were significant predictors of elevated liver enzymes (p < 0.05). Interestingly, Saudi patients (p = 0.019) were found to be a significant protective predictor of elevated liver enzymes. Our findings revealed that elevated liver enzyme levels were significantly correlated with the severity of COVID-19 (p < 0.05) in terms of qSOFA score. Moreover, older age, diabetes, qSOFA score, and elevated hepatitis enzymes were associated with mortality (p = 0.043). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated liver enzyme levels were common in patients with COVID-19 and were associated with the severity and prognosis of clinical outcomes.