Question

What does it mean if the fifth item of the Hepatitis B Two-and-a-Half test is positive? Is it serious?

Answer

The fifth item of the Hepatitis B Two-and-a-Half test, which is the Hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb), is positive, indicating that the tested individual is infected with the Hepatitis B virus and is contagious. Depending on the combination of test results, it may represent the following situations:

  1. (HBsAg, HBeAg, HBcAb positive): The Hepatitis B virus is actively replicating, with high contagiousness.
  2. (HBsAb, HBcAb positive): May indicate acute or chronic hepatitis, with contagiousness.
  3. (HBsAg positive): Four possibilities: A. Early stage of acute infection; B. Viral carrier; C. Transition from “big three positive” to reduced virus replication and decreased contagiousness; D. The core part of the virus integrates with human liver cell core, non-contagious.
  4. (HBsAg, HBeAb, HBcAb positive): Acute stage or viral carrier, with low contagiousness.
  5. (HBsAb positive): The virus has been cleared, with immunity. 6-8. (HBsAb, HBeAb, HBcAb positive): The virus has been eliminated, with immunity and no contagiousness.
  6. (HBsAg, HBeAg positive): Early stage of Hepatitis B infection, with high contagiousness.
  7. (HBsAg, HBeAb positive): Recovery period or chronic viral carrier.
  8. (HBsAg, HBeAg, HBeAb, HBcAb positive): Acute or chronic