Hepatitis B Test (HBeAb; Hepatitis B Antibody)

Hepatitis test is suggested to individuals who present with the following signs and symptoms     :

• Jaundice (a yellowish colour in eyes and skin)
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Grey- or clay-coloured faeces
• Dark-coloured urine
• Joint pain
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and vomiting
• Abdominal pain

People who are at a higher risk of acquiring this infection and need to be regularly screened for HBV include:

• Homosexuals (individuals having sexual intercourse with the same sex)
• Drug addicts
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive persons
• Those in close contact with an HBV-infected person
• Those who require immunosuppressive therapy
• Those undergoing haemodialysis
• Blood and tissue donors
• Those infected with hepatitis C virus
• Pregnant women
• Infants born to HBV-infected mothers
• Those who have travelled to an area with high HBV infection occurence

The risk of an acute infection to become chronic is largely dependent on the age of the infected person. Hence, extra care should be taken in patients aged <6 years. Further, 80-90% of infants can develop chronic infections during the first year of life; 30-50% of children infected before 6 years of age develop chronic infections. Less than 5% of adults who are infected with HBV will develop chronic infection, and 20-30% chronically infected will develop cirrhosis and liver cancer.

No special preparation is needed for this test.

To perform this test, your healthcare provider will first clean the site of blood collection, ie your arm with an antiseptic solution. A needle will be inserted into a vein in the arm to draw a blood sample. The collected sample will be then sent to the laboratory for further investigations.

HBsAg: The presence of HBsAg that is hepatitis virus antigen is representative of HBV infection. It can be seen at high levels in both acute and chronic infection.

Hepatitis B surface antibodies (anti-HBs): Anti-HBs signify recovery and immunity from HBV infection. It can also be seen in vaccinated patients.

Total hepatitis B core antibodies (anti-HBc): They appear at the onset of infection in acute HBV and persist for life. Presence of anti-HBc indicates a previous or current infection without pinpointing the time of exposure.

IgM antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (IgM anti-HBc): It indicates acute infection. The time period of infection could be less than or equal to six months. The possible interpretations of an HBV test are shown in the table below:

Disclaimer: All results must be clinically correlated with the patient’s complaints to make a complete and accurate diagnosis. The above information is provided from a purely educational perspective and is in no way a substitute for medical advice from a qualified doctor.