Open AccessCytokine-induced liver injury in coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19): untangling the knots
Author(s) -
Prajna Anirvan,
Sonali Narain,
Negin Hajizadeh,
Fuad Zain Aloor,
Shivaram Prasad Singh,
Sanjaya K. Satapathy
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
european journal of gastroenterology and hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.881
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1473-5687
pISSN - 0954-691X
DOI - 10.1097/meg.0000000000002034
Subject(s) - cytokine storm , medicine , liver injury , cytokine , pathophysiology , immunology , coronavirus , immune system , liver disease , hypoxia (environmental) , disease , covid-19 , pathology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , chemistry , organic chemistry , oxygen
Liver dysfunction manifesting as elevated aminotransferase levels has been a common feature of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) infection. The mechanism of liver injury in COVID-19 infection is unclear. However, it has been hypothesized to be a result of direct cytopathic effects of the virus, immune dysfunction and cytokine storm-related multiorgan damage, hypoxia-reperfusion injury and idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury due to medications used in the management of COVID-19. The favored hypothesis regarding the pathophysiology of liver injury in the setting of COVID-19 is cytokine storm, an aberrant and unabated inflammatory response leading to hyperproduction of cytokines. In the current review, we have summarized the potential pathophysiologic mechanisms of cytokine-induced liver injury based on the reported literature.