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Anti-HBc ( antiHBc - antibody to hepatitis B core antigen )

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

  • IgM anti-HBc:
    • high titres indicate acute infection
    • occurs 4-10 weeks after appearance of HBsAg at same time as clinical illness
    • low titres indicate ongoing disease, usually chronic active hepatitis
    • IgM anti-HBc may be the only serologic marker present after HBsAGg and HBeAg have subsided before these antibodies have appeared
    • IgM anti-HBc is the only serologic test that can differentiate remote and recent infection on one specimen
  • IgG anti-HBc:
    • with +ve HBsAg indicates chronic HBV hepatitis
    • with -ve HBsAg indicates infection in the remote past HBV DNA - indicates a continued infectious state. PCR provides a highly sensitive and rapid method for it's detection

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