* Hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs): a positive result indicates immunity to hepatitis B from the vaccination or recovery from an infection.
*Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg): A negative result indicates that a person has never been exposed to the virus or has recovered from acute hepatitis and has rid themselves of the virus (or has, at most, an occult infection). A positive (or reactive) result indicates an active infection but does not indicate whether the virus can be passed to others.
*Hepatitis B e-antigen (HBeAg): A positive (or reactive) result indicates the presence of virus that can be passed to others. A negative result usually means the virus cannot be spread to others, except in parts of the world where infection with strains that cannot make this protein are common.
*Anti-hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc): If it is present with a positive anti-HBs, it usually indicates recovery from an infection and the person is not a carrier or chronically infected. In acute infection, the first type of antibody to HBc to appear is an IgM antibody. Testing for this type of antibody can prove whether a person has recently been infected by HBV (where anti-HBc, IgM would be positive) or for some time (where anti-HBc, IgM would be negative).
*HBV DNA: A positive (or reactive) result indicates the presence of virus that can be passed to others. A negative result usually means the virus cannot be spread to others, especially if tests that can pick up as few as 200 viruses (copies) in one mL of blood are used.
What does the test result mean?
* Hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs): a positive result indicates immunity to hepatitis B from the vaccination or recovery from an infection.
*Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg): A negative result indicates that a person has never been exposed to the virus or has recovered from acute hepatitis and has rid themselves of the virus (or has, at most, an occult infection). A positive (or reactive) result indicates an active infection but does not indicate whether the virus can be passed to others.
*Hepatitis B e-antigen (HBeAg): A positive (or reactive) result indicates the presence of virus that can be passed to others. A negative result usually means the virus cannot be spread to others, except in parts of the world where infection with strains that cannot make this protein are common.
*Anti-hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc): If it is present with a positive anti-HBs, it usually indicates recovery from an infection and the person is not a carrier or chronically infected. In acute infection, the first type of antibody to HBc to appear is an IgM antibody. Testing for this type of antibody can prove whether a person has recently been infected by HBV (where anti-HBc, IgM would be positive) or for some time (where anti-HBc, IgM would be negative).
*HBV DNA: A positive (or reactive) result indicates the presence of virus that can be passed to others. A negative result usually means the virus cannot be spread to others, especially if tests that can pick up as few as 200 viruses (copies) in one mL of blood are used.