Hepatocellular Damage and Severity of COVID-۱۹ Infection in Iraqi Patients: A Biochemical Study

Background: Infection with COVID-۱۹ can cause hepatic damages. Here, we aimed to examine the effect of COVID-۱۹ infection on the serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), albumin, and procalcitonin (PCT) concentrations as markers to evaluate the liver function.   Methods: In this study, ۵۶ patients infected with COVID- ۱۹ and ۲۸ healthy controls was recruited in Private Nursing Home Hospital of the Medical City, Baghdad. Patients were subdivided according to disease severity into severe and non-severe groups. Results: The results showed that the mean±SD value of serum AST activity and serum PCT concentrations were elevated significantly in severe group in comparison to healthy control, (p< ۰.۰۱, p< ۰.۰۰۱) respectively. Also, the mean ±SD value of serum ALT activity was higher in severe group compared to the healthy subjects and non-severe ones, significantly (p< ۰.۰۰۰۱, p< ۰.۰۰۳) respectively. While the mean value of serum albumin concentration of severe patients and non-severe group were significantly decreased compared to healthy subjects. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) revealed that ROC value of albumin (۰.۹۹۲) differentiates between non- severe infected patients and healthy subjects, while the ROC value of serum ALT activity (۰.۷۳۵) differentiates between severe COVID-۱۹ patients and non- severe ones.   Conclusions: Changes of liver function parameters in COVID-۱۹ patients were mild to moderate and measurement of serum ALT activity is the best biomarker in differentiation between non-severe patients and severe ones and albumin concentration is excellent in discrimination between patients and controls