key: cord-0919874-yawe5b0z
authors: Aloisio, Elena; Panteghini, Mauro
title: Aspartate aminotransferase in COVID‐19: A probably overrated marker
date: 2021-10-05
journal: Liver Int
DOI: 10.1111/liv.15068
sha: 46e436bbbd1a7b93448525985062f5f783e5b330
doc_id: 919874
cord_uid: yawe5b0z

nan

To the Editor,

We read with interest the update by Spearman et al 1 discussing liver involvement in COVID-19. The review mentioned some results about liver enzymes derived from published studies, discussing the frequently reported association of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) increase with in-hospital mortality risk. This information is potentially relevant for guiding patient care and permitting early identification of subjects at high risk of death, its practical implication being, however, compromised by the fact that no studies discussed how pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical aspects of laboratory measurements may influence obtained data and their interpretation.

Issues such as the lack of standardization of commercial assays towards available international reference measurement systems (eg for aminotransferases, assays with or without the addition of pyridoxal- 

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