Abstract
Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The infection is spreading globally and poses a huge threat to human health. Besides common respiratory symptoms, some patients with COVID-19 experience gastrointestinal symptoms, such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite. SARS-CoV-2 might infect the gastrointestinal tract through its viral receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and there is increasing evidence of a possible fecal-oral transmission route. In addition, there exist multiple abnormalities in liver enzymes. COVID-19-related liver injury may be due to drug-induced liver injury, systemic inflammatory reaction, and hypoxia-ischemia reperfusion injury. The direct toxic attack of SARS-CoV-2 on the liver is still questionable. This review highlights the manifestations and potential mechanisms of gastrointestinal and hepatic injuries in COVID-19 to raise awareness of digestive system injury in COVID-19.
Publication types
-
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
-
Review
MeSH terms
-
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2
-
COVID-19
-
Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / epidemiology*
-
Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / genetics
-
Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / pathology
-
Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / virology
-
Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology*
-
Coronavirus Infections / genetics
-
Coronavirus Infections / pathology
-
Coronavirus Infections / virology
-
Feces / virology
-
Gastrointestinal Diseases / complications
-
Gastrointestinal Diseases / epidemiology*
-
Gastrointestinal Diseases / genetics
-
Gastrointestinal Diseases / virology
-
Gastrointestinal Tract / injuries
-
Gastrointestinal Tract / pathology
-
Gastrointestinal Tract / virology
-
Humans
-
Liver / physiopathology
-
Liver / virology
-
Liver Diseases / epidemiology*
-
Liver Diseases / genetics
-
Liver Diseases / pathology
-
Liver Diseases / virology
-
Pandemics
-
Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / genetics
-
Pneumonia, Viral / epidemiology*
-
Pneumonia, Viral / genetics
-
Pneumonia, Viral / pathology
-
Pneumonia, Viral / virology
Substances
-
Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A
-
ACE2 protein, human
-
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2