Autoimmune Hepatitis–Primary Biliary Cholangitis Overlap Syndrome Triggered by COVID-19
Keywords
Arthritis, autoimmune disease, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, autoimmune hepatitis, AIH, primary biliary cirrhosis, primary biliary cholangitis, overlap syndromeAbstract
COVID-19, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, has caused the ongoing global pandemic. Initially considered a respiratory disease, it can manifest with a wide range of complications (gastrointestinal, neurological, thromboembolic and cardiovascular) leading to multiple organ dysfunction. A range of immune complications have also been described. We report the case of a 57-year-old man with a medical history of hypertension, prediabetes and beta thalassemia minor, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 and subsequently developed fatigue and arthralgias, and whose blood work showed hyperferritinemia, elevated liver enzymes (AST/ALT/GGT), hypergammaglobulinemia, anti-smooth muscle antibody, anti-mitochondrial antibody, and anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies. The patient was diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis–primary biliary cholangitis overlap syndrome triggered by COVID-19. To our knowledge, this is the first such case reported.