Hepatitis B (Anti HBs)

General Information:

The tests we offer detect a current or prior infection with the Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) virus. Some of the tests report 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 the five viruses that cause inflammation of the liver. The virus is transmitted by contact with blood or other body fluids from an infected person. Exposure may occur in different cases: sexual contact, use of general syringes, operations, dental manipulations, from the mother to the fetus at birth or afterwards. The virus is not transmitted by accidental contact such as a handshake, cough, but lasts up to 7 days in external conditions. In this way, it can be transmitted using common toothbrushes, shaving blades, tattooing, piercing. In most cases, the patients are unaware of it when they were infected.

Hepatitis B vaccine is used on newborns, as well as people at risk of contracting hepatitis (healthcare professionals) or attending areas with increased morbidity. It is important to note that immunity to vaccination is not 100% and should be monitored periodically (3-5 years) to make sure the patient is immune. However, it is advisable to follow precautions and avoid risk factors.
The course of the disease in different patients differs, from mild to severe chronic years of infection. In some cases, chronic carrier results in serious complications such as cirrhosis or liver cancer.

We distinguish:

• Acute infection - the presence of typical hepatitis symptoms with a positive screening test
• Chronic infection-persistent infection with an established virus from laboratory tests and liver inflammation
• Infection (persistent) infection but without inflammation (a carrier is a person who looks healthy but carries the virus and potentially can infect others)
• Cleared (healed) infection - no evidence of infection; viral antigen tests and DNA tests are negative, with no symptoms of liver inflammation (although in many cases the virus is integrated into the cells in an inactive state)
• Reactivation - reversion to HBV infection with the hepatic injury in a vehicle carrier or one that has been identified as cured. This is most common in people receiving chemotherapy or immunosuppressants. 

Although Hepatitis B is a potentially serious illness, the chronization in most adult patients is relatively low. Unfortunately, in children, chronization reaches 90% in newborns and drops to 10% in school-age children.

Symptomatic: Many patients with chronic hepatitis have no symptoms. In acute forms, symptoms are not different from other viral hepatitis: fever, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, jaundice. In acute hepatitis, the liver does not function normally. It can not metabolize toxins and other metabolites such as bilirubin, for example. Therefore, it is recommended that hepatitis diagnosis is accompanied by liver packs offered by the laboratory.

This is one of the first mandatory markers in the diagnosis of Hepatitis B.
Anti-HBs or HBsAb- antibody assay to hepatitis B surface antigen. Detection of antibodies in the patient indicates that it is protected against hepatitis B virus. This protection may be the result of vaccination or successful recovery from a past infection. The patient can not infect and cannot spread hepatitis B to other people as well as cannot be infected again because the antibodies are protective. The patient does not need any vaccination.

Sample Required:

Venous blood

Keywords:

Hepatitis B Anti HBs