Liver injury in COVID-19 and IL-6 trans-signaling-induced endotheliopathy.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

COVID-19 is associated with liver injury and elevated interleukin-6 (IL-6). We hypothesized that IL-6 trans-signaling in liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) leads to endotheliopathy (a proinflammatory and procoagulant state) and liver injury in COVID-19.

Methods

Coagulopathy, endotheliopathy, and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were retrospectively analyzed in a subset (n = 68), followed by a larger cohort (n = 3,780) of patients with COVID-19. Liver histology from 43 patients with COVID-19 was analyzed for endotheliopathy and its relationship to liver injury. Primary human LSECs were used to establish the IL-6 trans-signaling mechanism.

Results

Factor VIII, fibrinogen, D-dimer, von Willebrand factor (vWF) activity/antigen (biomarkers of coag

SUBMITTER: McConnell MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8285256 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature