Tuesday, April 20, 2010

LABORATORY DIAGNOSIS OF HEPATITIS B VIRUS

T.U 2O59,2061,2062
LABORATORY DIAGNOSIS OF HEPATITIS B VIRUS

Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg)  is the most important serological marker for identifying infection with Hepatitis B Virus.
HBsAg is present early in acute infection, disappears with resolution of infection and persists in chronic infection.
IgM anti-HBc (IgM class antibody, against Hepatitis B Core Antigen) is essential for the diagnosis of acute infection, but is also seen occasionally in very active chronic hepatitis. Anti-HBc antibodies develop and persist after all HBV infections. The loss of HBsAg and development of anti-HBc signals resolution of acute infection.
Anti-HBs also occurs post vaccination, but anti-HBc will not be present in such cases.


Chronic infection is manifested by persistent HBsAg. Markers of viral replication such as HBeAg and HBV-DNA (non-PCR method) are detectable during the early high replication phase, but are not detectable during the later quiescent low replication phase.

 HBeAg is not a reliable marker of HBV replication when a precore variant is responsible for the infection. Such cases will be HBeAg negative, anti-HBe positive, but HBV-DNA (by a non-PCR method) positive.

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