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Review
. 2023 Mar 26;11(9):1918-1929.
doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v11.i9.1918.

COVID-19 related liver injuries in pregnancy

Metodija Sekulovski  1   2 , Simona Bogdanova-Petrova  3   4 , Monika Peshevska-Sekulovska  2   5 , Tsvetelina Velikova  2   6 , Tsvetoslav Georgiev  3   7
Affiliations
Review

COVID-19 related liver injuries in pregnancy

Metodija Sekulovski et al. World J Clin Cases. .

Abstract

While severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) quickly spread across the globe, our understanding of its pathogenic mechanisms evolved. Importantly, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is now considered a syndromic multisystem inflammatory disease involving not only the respiratory system but also the cardiovascular, excretory, nervous, musculoskeletal, and gastrointestinal systems. Moreover, a membrane-bound form of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, the entry receptor for SARS-CoV-2, is expressed on the surface of cholangiocytes and hepatocytes, suggesting the potential of COVID-19 to involve the liver. With the widespread distribution of SARS-CoV-2 throughout the population, infection during pregnancy is no longer a rare occurrence; however, little is known about the course of hepatic injuries and related outcomes in pregnant SARS-CoV-2-positive women. Thus, the understudied topic of COVID-related liver disease during pregnancy poses a great challenge for the consulting gynecologist and hepatologist. In this review, we aim to describe and summarize potential liver injuries in pregnant women with COVID-19.

Keywords: Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptors; COVID-19; Liver injury; Pregnancy; SARS-CoV-2.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare they have no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Severe coronavirus disease 2019 in pregnancy and associated complications for mother and fetus. COVID-19: Coronavirus disease 2019; HELLP: Hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelets; HIV: Human immunodeficiency virus.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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