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Currently, a commonly used test aimed at detecting HBV infection in the early stage is the test of the surface antigens of this virus, i.e. HBsAg. Unfortunately, hepatitis B can be asymptomatic, so it cannot be detected without a specialist examination. HBsAg, or surface protein, is the antigen that determines whether the body is inflamed. But a positive result doesn’t always mean you’re sick.
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What is HBsAg?
HBsAg is an antigen, a surface protein. Its presence may indicate hepatitis B or a carrier of HBV. The presence of HBsAg is checked in the blood serum. Based on the results, it can be determined whether it is a form of acute or chronic inflammation.
You do not need to prepare yourself for the examination. It is simply drawn from the most visible vein. You also do not need to fast, but tell your doctor about any medications you are taking, especially if they may affect the test result.
Interpreting the results is not difficult. If HBsAg is not present in the serum, the person doing the test is healthy, uninfected. In turn, an increased level of HBsAg or anti-HBs means chronic long-term hepatitis, chronic active hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver caused by viral hepatitis B, and may also mean the active phase of chronic infection with the virus or simply HBV carrier – chronic infection with low risk of liver infection.
HBs positive and hepatitis B
Most often, a positive antigen indicates the presence of HBV in the body, which causes hepatitis B. As the virus is carried for many years, it may be asymptomatic, therefore antigen testing is needed to confirm or definitively exclude HBV carrier status. There are four strains of HBV, which in turn causes hepatitis B. They are: adr, adw, ayr, ayw. Each of the strains has the same clinical symptoms and can be infected in the same way.
How can you get infected with HBV?
Unfortunately, infection with HBV can occur in several ways. Most often, it is parenteral, i.e. through contact with the blood of an infected person or body fluids, including sexual and perinatal routes. You can even get infected at the dentist during tooth drilling if the previous patient is a carrier of HBV and the dentist has not sanitized their utensils well. The first symptoms after infection may appear 2-3 months, but sometimes the virus develops asymptomatically for many years.
Symptoms of HBV infection are abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, constant fatigue, muscle aches and pain in the joints. Therefore, they can be easily confused with another disease. Therefore, in order to confirm HBV infection, antigen tests or other diagnostic tests must be performed to exclude other diseases. Untreated hepatitis B leads to acute liver failure, which is fatal.
Treatment of HBV
Unfortunately, there is no drug that can eliminate HBV from the body. Therefore, symptomatic treatment is carried out and the deterioration of the liver is prevented by the use of an appropriate diet or the use of pharmacological agents that inhibit the multiplication of the virus in the body.
| Name of the study | HBsAg |
| Introduction – what is this research / what the research is for | Detection of hepatitis B infection or HBV carrier status |
| Indications for the examination | Suspicion of hepatitis B infection, acute jaundice, HBV carrier |
| Standards | Negative |
| Interpretation of the results | Negative – healthy patient, Positive – sick patient or HBV carrier |
| How is the test going | Blood donation |
| How to prepare for the test | You don’t need to fast |
| Information to be reported prior to testing | Medications taken |
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