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Hep B core antibody negative

I received test results today which simply showed
Hep core B antibody Negative
there was no other information....
is this sufficient to tell weather  I am infected
6 Responses
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Avatar universal

Thanks for your help on this very much appreciated.
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Avatar universal
Mmm, sound reasonable - Hep B core antibody is negative, antigen result will also be negative. Can't argue with that.
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Avatar universal
Dear Steve,

So is it safe to say that with the negative Hep B core antibody result (up until three months prior to the sample being taken)  I was not infected. I received this reply from them

I have reviewed your m=notes and discussed your case with our Lead Consultant.
The test which we ran to screen you for evidence of Hep B infection was the Hep B core Antibody test. This is the best test to use as a  marker for infection. If Hep B core antibody is negative, antigen results will also be negative. The only time we would screen for surface antigen is if the patient is immunocompromised (HIV positive) as sometimes they will not produce antibody due to their immunocompromised status.

Please feel reassured we have screened you appropriately in light of the history you presented to us with.
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Avatar universal
The standard test to see if you are currently infected with HBV is the the HBsAg test. If you test negative for HBsAg but positive for HBcAb, there is a very small chance that you may have what they call occult HBV, i.e., HBsAg is negative but hbvdna is detectable (usually very low). Whether occult hbv is clinically significant or not is still an open question.

Just my opinion.
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Avatar universal
Dear Steve,

What concerns me is that it appears from what I have read on the internet
that it is not possible to tell whether I am infected or not simply by having the
Hep core B antibody showing as a negative. Is this your understanding also.?
If so I am at a loss to understand why they have not also supplied a HbsAg result also.

Regards

Peter
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Most likely you have never been infected. To be sure, you should test the status of HbsAg to see whether it is positive (reactive) or not. If it is negative (non-reactive), then you have never been infected. It may be a good idea to get vaccinated.
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