Published online Apr 28, 2021. doi: 10.13105/wjma.v9.i2.108
Peer-review started: January 23, 2021
First decision: February 28, 2021
Revised: March 12, 2021
Accepted: April 23, 2021
Article in press: April 23, 2021
Published online: April 28, 2021
Processing time: 94 Days and 20.6 Hours
Coronavirus disease 2019 is a pandemic disease caused by a novel RNA coronavirus, SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is implicated in the respiratory system. SARS-CoV-2 also targets extrapulmonary systems, including the gastrointestinal tract, liver, central nervous system and others. SARS-CoV-2, like other RNA viruses, targets the liver and produces liver injury. This literature review showed that SARS-CoV-2-induced liver injury is different from other RNA viruses by a transient elevation of hepatic enzymes and does not progress to liver fibrosis or other unfavorable events. Moreover, SARS-CoV-2-induced liver injury usually occurs in the presence of risk factors, such as nonalcoholic liver fatty disease. This review highlights the important differences between RNA viruses inducing liver injury taking into consideration the clinical, biochemical, histopathological, postmortem findings and the chronicity of liver injury that ultimately leads to liver fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.
Core Tip: Coronavirus-induced liver injury is rare, and it may be passed without a definite diagnosis. Liver function tests are simple, inexpensive and rapid and can detect acute liver injury, particularly in infected patients who have evidence of comorbidities. This review discusses the differences between RNA virus-induced liver injury focusing on the coronavirus targeting the liver as an extrapulmonary site of infection or as a part of multiple organ dysfunction