Hi, I have a member in family with chronic hepatitis B, probably infected 16 years ago, when she had the symptoms of acute hepatitis B, including jaundice (she is also positive for HAV antibodies). She didn't know that she was infected with HBV until 2003 I think, when she went to donate blood.
Until this year when I read about HBV, she did only ALT & AST tests. She didn't take any medication.
She is:
HBsAg reactive (3.0 OD, 0.077 cut-off),
HBeAg negative,
HBeAb reactive (0.004 OD),
HBcAb reactive (0.008)
HBV DNA 47000 copies/ml.
This month I was curious to test her for HBsAb (Anti-HBs).
The test was reactive 15 mIU/ml:
reactive > 12 mIU/ml
border line > 8 mIU/ml & < 12 mIU/ml.
negative < 8 mIU/ml.
What could this mean?
Is her HBsAg suffered some mutation?
If it's a mutation, than why the HBsAg it's detected?
Many thanks.