Hep Be Ag (-), Hep Be Ab (+), what does it mean?

[jsw4u]

Cut and paste paragraph from the CDC:

"Hepatitis B e Antibody (HBeAb or anti-HBe): produced by the immune system temporarily during acute HBV infection or consistently during or after a burst in viral replication. Spontaneous conversion from e antigen to e antibody (a change known as seroconversion) is a predictor of long-term clearance of HBV in patients undergoing antiviral therapy and indicates lower levels of HBV."

Isn't this what has happened with me? I went thru antiviral therapy, Interferon, years ago. (see previous forum posting 10 mins ago).  I know that since I'm still Hep B s Ag positive, I'm still infectious, but isn't this e antigen (-), e antibody (+) a good thing?  Surely, this non-MD is wrong that the presence of the Hep B E Antibody is a sign that I'm "highly infectious".?

Please help me understand this.  Thank-you.

[stevenNYer]

Zellyf is correct.

It looks like you have chronic HepB (Hep B s Ag positive for over 6 months).  

USUALLY eAntibody positve and eAntigen negative is a very good thing because it's indicative of an inactive carrier and would be less infectious to others.

BUT if you need the run the HBV DNA test to be sure.

[zellyf]

I don't believe that you are any more or less infectious for the presence of the e-antibody.  The e-antibody is desirable.  The e-antigen can indicate a higher level of infectiousness.  Perhaps they are confused about the two.