The Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) Screen Panel with Reflexes includes test components that allow for initial laboratory evaluation of HBV status for several different patient populations, including patients with acute, chronic or vaccinated immunity to hepatitis B.1,2 The panel components include:
- Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg) with Reflex Confirmation (test code 498)
- Hepatitis B Core Antibody (HBcAb), Total, with Reflex to IgM (test code 37676)*
- Hepatitis B Surface Antibody (HBsAb) Immunity, Quantitative (8475)
* Hepatitis B Core Antibody, Total (test code 501[X]) is a measure of both IgM and IgG antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg), for which there is no direct antigen test. The test does not distinguish between IgG and IgM antibodies. HBcAb may be detected before or at the onset of symptoms; however, such reactivity can persist for years after illness, and may even outlast HBsAb. Occasionally HBcAb may be the only marker of either current or past hepatitis B infection. HBV vaccination leads to development of HBsAb but not to HBcAb.
An evaluation of the combination of results from these tests permits initial assessment of the patient’s overall hepatitis B status. The laboratory report also provides an overall interpretation of the panel of hepatitis B results.
This Panel was created to simplify the hepatitis B screening process; the component tests in the Panel are adapted from recommendations from the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).1,2