Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Feb 04, 2026 1 hour, 22 minutes ago
Medical News: A silent complication that often goes unnoticed
Common Variable Immunodeficiency, or CVID, is one of the most common inherited immune disorders seen in adults. People with CVID are known to suffer frequent infections, but doctors are now warning that liver disease linked to this condition may be just as dangerous, and far easier to miss. According to this
Medical News report, liver involvement in CVID is often silent for years, only becoming obvious when serious complications have already developed.
R
esearchers warn that silent liver damage may affect many people living with common immune deficiency.
Why the liver is affected
CVID is not just about low antibodies. It is a complex immune disorder that causes long term immune imbalance and chronic inflammation. Researchers explain that this immune dysfunction can slowly damage the small blood vessels inside the liver. Over time, this leads to abnormal blood flow, tissue injury, and structural changes within the organ, even though classic liver cirrhosis may not be present.
Common but underdiagnosed liver problems
Studies reviewed by the researchers show that between 5 and 79 percent of CVID patients may have some form of liver involvement, depending on how it is measured. The most common conditions include nodular regenerative hyperplasia and porto-sinusoidal vascular disease. These disorders increase pressure in the portal vein, leading to enlarged spleens, low platelet counts, internal bleeding, and fluid buildup in the abdomen. Alarmingly, many patients have normal liver blood tests despite significant damage.
The role of the gut and immune attack
One key finding is the strong link between gut health and liver injury. CVID patients often have intestinal inflammation and disturbed gut bacteria. This allows bacterial toxins to leak into the bloodstream and reach the liver. There, immune cells attack liver blood vessels and surrounding tissue, causing tiny clots, inflammation, and gradual scarring. Over time, this process reshapes the liver structure and disrupts normal blood flow.
Diagnosis remains a major challenge
Because routine blood tests may appear normal, imaging scans and liver stiffness measurements are essential. However, experts stress that liver biopsy remains the gold standard for diagnosis. Identifying these liver changes early is critical, as delayed diagnosis is associated with a higher risk of life-threatening complications and death.
Treatment options and survival
There is no single approved treatment for CVID related liver disease. Management focuses on immunoglobulin replacement therapy to reduce infections, careful monitoring, and treatment of complications such as internal bleeding. In severe cases, liver transplantation may be lifesaving. Even with treatment, patients with liver involvement face significantly higher mortality compared to CVID patients without liver disease.
Conclusion
The
findings highlight that liver disease in CVID is common, dangerous, and frequently overlooked. Early screening, increased awareness among doctors, and coordinated care between immunology and liver specialists are essential to improve outcomes. Without timely detection, silent liver damage can progress rapidly, turning a manageable immune disorder into a life-threatening condition.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed International Journal of Molecular Sciences.
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/3/1518
For the latest on Common Variable Immunodeficiency, or CVID, keep on logging to Thailand
Medical News.
Read Also:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/hiv-aids
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/coronavirus
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