TABLE 4.
Interpretation of hepatitis B markers
|
| Marker |
Interpretation |
|
| HBsAg |
Active HBV infection; may be
acute or chronic |
| HBsAb |
Immune to HBV; may be natural
immunity or following vaccination |
| HBcAb-IgM |
Acute HBV infection (newer and
more sensitive assays may also be positive during reactivation of chronic infections) |
| HBeAg |
High infectivity, active viral
replication |
| HBeAb |
Low or no infectivity; need only
be measured in chronic HBV |
| HBV-DNA |
Direct measure of infectivity or
replicative state; becoming increasingly available |
|