New Onset of Acute and Chronic Hepatic Diseases Post-COVID-19 Infection: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The SARS-CoV-2 virus caused a pandemic in the 2020s, which affected almost every aspect of life. As the world is recovering from the effect of the coronavirus, the concept of post-COVID-19 syndrome has emerged. Multiple organ systems have been implicated, including the liver. We aim to identify and analyze the reported cases of severe and long-term parenchymal liver injury post-COVID-19 infection. Several databases were used to conduct a comprehensive literature search to target studies reporting cases of severe and long-term parenchymal liver injury post-COVID-19 infection. Screening, data extraction, and cross checking were performed by two independent reviewers. Only 22 studies met our inclusion criteria. Our results revealed that liver steatosis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and cirrhosis were the most reported liver associated complications post-COVID-19 infection. Moreover, complications like acute liver failure, hepatitis, and liver hemorrhage were also reported. The mechanism of liver injury post-COVID-19 infection is not fully understood. The leading proposed mechanisms include the involvement of the angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE-2) receptor expressed in the liver and the overall inflammatory state caused by COVID-19 infection. Future studies should incorporate longer follow-up periods, spanning several years, for better insight into the progression and management of such diseases.