Hepatitis B (Anti HBc II)

General information:

The tests offered by Laborexpress 2000 detect current or previous infection with the Hepatitis B virus (HBV). Some tests measure viral proteins (antigens) or antibodies produced by the patient's body in response to the infection. There are also those that take into account the genetic material (viral load) of the virus.
Hepatitis B is one of five viruses that cause inflammation of the liver. The virus is transmitted through contact with blood or other body fluids from an infected person. Exposure can occur in various cases: sexual contact, use of shared syringes, operations, dental manipulations, from mother to fetus during birth or after. The virus is not transmitted by casual contact such as shaking hands, coughing, but it lasts up to 7 days in outdoor conditions. Thus, it can be transmitted when using common toothbrushes, razor blades, arbitrary tattooing, piercing. In most cases, patients are not aware of exactly when they were infected.
Hepatitis B vaccine is administered to newborns and persons at risk of hepatitis infection (medical personnel) or visiting areas with increased morbidity. It is important to note that vaccination immunity is not 100% and must be monitored periodically (every 3-5 years) to be sure of the patient. However, it is advisable to follow precautions and avoid risk factors.
The course of the disease in different patients differs - from a mild form to a serious chronic infection that lasts for years. In certain cases, chronic carriage leads to serious complications such as cirrhosis or liver cancer.

 We distinguish:

• Acute infection – presence of typical hepatitis symptoms with a positive screening test
• Chronic infection- persistent infection with established virus from laboratory tests and liver inflammation
• Carrier (inactive) infection - persistent infection, but without inflammation (a carrier is a person who appears to be in good health, but carries the virus and can potentially infect others)
• Cleared (cured) infection - no evidence of infection is found; viral antigen tests and DNA tests are negative with no symptoms of liver inflammation (although in many cases the virus is integrated into cells in an inactive state)

Reactivation – return to HBV infection with liver damage in a carrier patient or one who has been diagnosed as cured. This occurs most often in people on chemotherapy or immunosuppressants.

Although hepatitis B is a potentially serious disease, chronicity in most adult patients is relatively low. Unfortunately, in children, chronicity reaches 90% in newborns and drops to 10% in school-aged children.
Symptoms: most patients with chronic hepatitis have no symptoms. In acute forms, the symptoms do not differ from other viral hepatitis: fever, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, icterus (jaundice). In acute hepatitis, the liver does not function normally. It cannot metabolize toxins and other metabolic intermediates such as bilirubin for example. Therefore, it is recommended that the diagnosis of hepatitis be accompanied by liver packs offered by the laboratory.

The establishment of anti-HBc total or HBcAb (antibody to the core antigen of hepatitis B) indicates (does not differentiate) past or current infection with hepatitis B. One of the first markers in the diagnosis of this viral hepatitis. In order to clarify your condition, you need to do the other two tests offered by the laboratory (HBsAg and anti-HBs).

These antibodies are usually detected before anti-HBs and remain positive even after anti-HBc Ig M has been negated. In patients with chronic infection, both markers (anti-HBc total and HBsAg) remain positive for a long time. In contrast, HBeAg can be variable (positive or negative).

If only anti-HBc total is positive and HBsAg is negative, several interpretations are possible:

• the patient to recover from the acute phase of the infection
• the HBsAg level is too low and is not detected by the test
• possible chronic infection

Sample required:

Venous blood

Key words:

Hepatitis B, Anti HBc II