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