摘要
BACKGROUND Chronic liver disease,particularly cirrhosis,is associated with worse outcomes in patients infected with coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).AIM To assess outcomes of COVID-19 infection among patients with pre-existing hepatitis C with or without liver cirrhosis.METHODS This multicenter,retrospective cohort study included all cases of confirmed coinfection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and chronic hepatitis C with or without liver cirrhosis who were admitted to six hospitals(Al-Sahel Hospital,Al-Matareya Hospital,Al-Ahrar Hospital,Ahmed Maher Teaching Hospital,Al-Gomhoreya Hospital,and the National Hepatology and Tropical Medicine Research Institute)affiliated with the General Organization for Teaching Hospitals and Institutes in Egypt.Patients were recruited from May 1,2020,to July 31,2020.Demographic,laboratory,imaging features,and outcomes were collected.Multivariate regression analysis was performed to detect factors affecting mortality.RESULTS This retrospective cohort study included 125 patients with chronic hepatitis C and COVID-19 co-infection,of which 64(51.20%)had liver cirrhosis and 40(32.00%)died.Fever,cough,dyspnea,and fatigue were the most frequent symptoms in patients with liver cirrhosis.Cough,sore throat,fatigue,myalgia,and diarrhea were significantly more common in patients with liver cirrhosis than in noncirrhotic patients.There was no difference between patients with and without cirrhosis regarding comorbidities.Fifteen patients(23.40%)with liver cirrhosis presented with hepatic encephalopathy.Patients with liver cirrhosis were more likely than non-cirrhotic patients to have combined ground-glass opacities and consolidations in CT chest scans:28(43.75%)vs 4(6.55%),respectively(P value<0.001).These patients also were more likely to have severe COVID-19 infection,compared to patients without liver cirrhosis:29(45.31%)vs 11(18.04%),respectively(P value<0.003).Mortality was higher in patients with liver cirrhosis,compared to those with no cirrhosis:33(51.56%)vs 9(14.
