Hepatitis B Virus Surface Antigen (HBs)

What sample will you take for  HBV surface antigen (HBs-antigen)?

1. This test is done on the patient’s serum.
2. ELIZA is more sensitive and specific than the screening method to confirm Hepatitis B infection.

What are the indications of Hepatitis B Virus Surface Antigen (HBs)?

1. HBs antigen is the first to appear in the patient’s blood.
2. HBs antigen is used to screen donors’ blood.
3. This will show the carrier’s status.
4. It is advised for pregnant ladies.
5. Also advised for healthcare workers.
6. This will be positive in both the acute and chronic states.
7. It appears in 4 to 12 weeks and disappears in 1 to 3 months.
8. Donors with HBs antigen positive should never be allowed to donate blood or plasma.

What is the prevalence of HBV infection?

1. It is prevalent in Taiwan and various other areas of Southeast Asia and parts of Africa.
   1. In this population, 10% to 15% of cases are positive.
2. The USA homosexual carriers are about 4% to 8% positive cases. While intravenous drug users account for about 10% cases.
3. In some cases, 5% to 15% becomes chronic carriers or chronic hepatitis.
4. Chronic liver disease is divided into:
   1. Chronic persistent hepatitis. Abnormal liver functions and relatively normal liver on biopsy.
   2. Chronic active hepatitis. Abnormal liver function tests and abnormal liver biopsy.
   3. About 15% to 30% of chronic liver disease develops cirrhosis.

What is the significance of the HBs antigen (hepatitis B surface antigen )?

1. Its presence indicates that the virus is in the bloodstream.
2. The patient can transmit the infection.
3. Infectivity is higher when the HBe antigen is positive along with the HBs antigen.
4. An infection less than 6 months indicates an acute infection.
5. If the infection is more than 6 months, it indicates chronic liver disease or a carrier state.

What are the conditions where Hepatitis B Virus Surface Antigen (HBs) is positive?

Hepatitis B Virus Surface Antigen (HBs)	Percentage in the population
Blood donors	<0.1%
Multiple blood-transfused patients	3.8%
Drug addicts	4.2%
Prevalence in the USA	0.25%
Chronic persistent hepatitis	50%
Chronic active hepatitis	25%
Cirrhosis patients	3%
Donor containing HBs antigen	HBs antigen appears in >70% of the recipients Needle prick from such blood causes hepatitis in 45% of the cases
When an HBs antigen-positive carrier	60% to 80% will show some evidence of liver damage

Please see more details on viral hepatitis B.

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