Anti-HBc
Anti-HBc (anti-hepatitis B core) is an antibody that is produced by the immune system in response to the core antigen of the Hepatitis B virus (HBV). The presence of anti-HBc in the blood indicates a past or ongoing infection with HBV.
Types of Anti-HBc[edit | edit source]
There are two types of anti-HBc antibodies:
- IgM anti-HBc: This type of antibody appears shortly after infection and indicates an acute or recent HBV infection.
- IgG anti-HBc: This antibody appears later and persists for life, indicating a past or chronic HBV infection.
Clinical Significance[edit | edit source]
The detection of anti-HBc is crucial in the diagnosis and management of HBV infections. It is often used in conjunction with other markers such as HBsAg (Hepatitis B surface antigen) and anti-HBs (antibody to Hepatitis B surface antigen) to determine the stage of infection and immunity status.
Acute Hepatitis B[edit | edit source]
In acute HBV infection, both IgM anti-HBc and HBsAg are typically present. The presence of IgM anti-HBc is a marker of recent infection.
Chronic Hepatitis B[edit | edit source]
In chronic HBV infection, IgG anti-HBc is present along with HBsAg. The absence of IgM anti-HBc helps differentiate chronic infection from acute infection.
Resolved Hepatitis B[edit | edit source]
In individuals who have recovered from HBV infection, IgG anti-HBc and anti-HBs are present, while HBsAg is absent. This indicates immunity due to past infection.
Occult Hepatitis B[edit | edit source]
Occult HBV infection is characterized by the presence of HBV DNA in the liver (and sometimes in the blood) without detectable HBsAg. In such cases, anti-HBc may be the only serological marker of infection.
Testing for Anti-HBc[edit | edit source]
Anti-HBc is detected using serological tests such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA). These tests are widely used in clinical laboratories to screen for HBV infection.
Related Pages[edit | edit source]
- Hepatitis B virus
- HBsAg
- Anti-HBs
- Hepatitis B vaccine
- Hepatitis B surface antigen
- Hepatitis B core antigen
- Hepatitis B e antigen
- Hepatitis B e antibody
This virology related article is a stub. You can help WikiMD by expanding it.
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro / Zepbound) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
|
WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia |
| Let Food Be Thy Medicine Medicine Thy Food - Hippocrates |
Translate this page: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
தமிழ்,
తెలుగు,
Urdu,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
বাংলা
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
Greek,
português do Brasil,
polski,
română,
русский,
Nederlands,
norsk,
svenska,
suomi,
Italian
Middle Eastern & African
عربى,
Turkish,
Persian,
Hebrew,
Afrikaans,
isiZulu,
Kiswahili,
Other
Bulgarian,
Hungarian,
Czech,
Swedish,
മലയാളം,
मराठी,
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
ગુજરાતી,
Portuguese,
Ukrainian
WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.
Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD
