Abnormal liver biochemistries in the first 30 days after the diagnosis of coronavirus
| SARS-CoV (n=1507) | SARS-CoV-2 (n=816) | P value* | Other HCoVs† (n=111) | P value‡ | |
| Peak ALT | |||||
| <ULN | 305 (20.2) | 445 (54.5) | <0.001 | 44 (39.6) | <0.001 |
| ≥1× to <2×ULN | 457 (30.3) | 190 (23.3) | 30 (27.0) | ||
| ≥2× to <5×ULN | 517 (34.3) | 141 (17.3) | 21 (18.9) | ||
| ≥5× to <10×ULN | 158 (10.5) | 32 (3.9) | 8 (7.2) | ||
| ≥10×ULN | 70 (4.6) | 8 (1.0) | 8 (7.2) | ||
| Peak ALP | |||||
| <ULN | 1057 (70.1) | 747 (91.5) | <0.001 | 67 (60.4) | <0.001 |
| ≥1× to <2×ULN | 379 (25.1) | 65 (8.0) | 27 (24.3) | ||
| ≥2× to <5×ULN | 63 (4.2) | 4 (0.5) | 15 (13.5) | ||
| ≥5× to <10×ULN | 5 (0.3) | 0 (0) | 2 (1.8) | ||
| ≥10×ULN | 3 (0.2) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | ||
| Peak total bilirubin | |||||
| <ULN | 553 (36.7) | 391 (47.9) | <0.001 | 81 (73.0) | <0.001 |
| ≥1× to <2×ULN | 637 (42.3) | 339 (41.5) | 19 (17.1) | ||
| ≥2× to <5×ULN | 284 (18.8) | 79 (9.7) | 6 (5.4) | ||
| ≥5× to <10×ULN | 24 (1.6) | 6 (0.7) | 2 (1.8) | ||
| ≥10×ULN | 9 (0.6) | 1 (0.1) | 3 (2.7) |
| SARS-CoV (n=544) | SARS-CoV-2 (n=236) | Other HCoVs¶ (n=50) | |||
| Peak AST§ | |||||
| <ULN | 236 (43.4) | 132 (55.9) | 0.003 | 19 (38.0) | <0.001 |
| ≥1× to <2×ULN | 169 (31.1) | 70 (29.7) | 10 (20.0) | ||
| ≥2× to <5×ULN | 120 (22.1) | 31 (13.1) | 7 (14.0) | ||
| ≥5× to <10×ULN | 15 (2.8) | 3 (1.3) | 4 (8.0) | ||
| ≥10×ULN | 4 (0.7) | 0 (0) | 10 (20.0) |
| SARS-CoV (n=49) | SARS-CoV-2 (n=41) | Other HCoVs (n=36)** | |||
| Peak GGT§ | |||||
| <ULN | 13 (26.5) | 10 (24.4) | 0.344 | 7 (19.4) | 0.288 |
| ≥1× to <2×ULN | 8 (16.3) | 11 (26.8) | 7 (19.4) | ||
| ≥2× to <5×ULN | 14 (28.6) | 10 (24.4) | 9 (25.0) | ||
| ≥5× to <10×ULN | 8 (16.3) | 9 (22.0) | 7 (19.4) | ||
| ≥10×ULN | 6 (12.2) | 1 (2.4) | 6 (16.7) |
The ULN of ALT was 40 U/L according the the clinical practice guideline of The Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver. The ULN of ALP was specific to each laboratory and the age and gender of the patient. The ULN of total bilirubin was 19 µmol/L. The ULN of AST was 40 U/L. The ULN of GGT was 40 U/L.
*χ2 or Fisher’s exact tests compared patients infected by SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2.
†Other HCoVs included 23 patients infected with HCoV-229E, 19 with HCoV-HKU1, 14 with HCoV-NL63 and 55 with HCoV-OC43; 3 patients had coinfection of SARS-CoV-2 and HCoV-OC43; 1 patient had coinfection of SARS-CoV-2 and HCoV-229E.
‡χ2 or Fisher’s exact tests compared patients infected by SARS-CoV-2 and all patients infected by other HCoVs. Patients with coinfection of SARS-CoV-2 and other HCoVs were excluded from the tests.
§Based on patients who had baseline measurement and at least one measurement during follow-up.
¶Other HCoVs included 11 patients infected with HCoV-229E, 10 with HCoV-HKU1, 7 with HCoV-NL63 and 22 with HCoV-OC43; 2 patients had coinfection of SARS-CoV-2 and HCoV-OC43.
**Other HCoVs included 6 patients infected with HCoV-229E, 6 with HCoV-HKU1, 7 with HCoV-NL63 and 17 with HCoV-OC43.
ALP, alkaline phosphatase; ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; GGT, gamma-glutamyl transferase; HCoV, human coronavirus; SARS, severe acute respiratory syndrome; ULN, upper limit of normal.