Hepatology : official journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases
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The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic has drastically altered all facets of clinical care and research. Clinical research in hepatology has had a rich tradition in several domains, including the discovery and therapeutic development for diseases such as hepatitis B and C and studying the natural history of many forms of chronic liver disease. National Institutes of Health, foundation, and industry funding have provided important opportunities to advance the academic careers of young investigators while they strived to make contributions to the field. ⋯ Real-world databases, biomarker and long-term follow up studies, and research involving special groups (children, the homeless, and other marginalized populations) are likely to face unique challenges. The implementation of telemedicine has been dramatically accelerated and will serve as a backbone for the future of clinical research. As we move forward, innovation in clinical trial design will be essential for conducting optimized clinical research.
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A newly recognized multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) has had a paradigm-shifting effect on the perception of severe acute respiratory syndrome, coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) illness severity in children. We report the clinical and biochemical features of liver involvement, and the comorbidities that present with hepatitis, in a substantial cohort of patients. ⋯ Hepatitis is common in children with MIS-C and is associated with a more severe presentation and persistent elevation of liver function tests in many. Despite the positive outcomes reported here, close follow-up is warranted given the limited knowledge of the long-term impact of SARS-CoV-2 on the liver.