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Hepatitis B Core IgM Antibody
Test CodeAlias/See Also
CPT Codes
86705
Preferred Specimen
Serum (gold top tube)
Minimum Volume
Other Acceptable Specimens
Transport Container
Serum (gold top) or Lithium Heparin (green top) Tube
Transport Temperature
Specimen Stability
Reject Criteria (Eg, hemolysis? Lipemia? Thaw/Other?)
Methodology
Chemiluminescence
Setup Schedule
Daily Upon Receipt
Report Available
Limitations
Reference Range
Interpretation:
Negative: Non-reactive for Hepatitis B core IgM Antibodies. A negative test result does not exclude the possibility of exposure to hepatitis B virus. Levels of anti-HBc IgM may be undetectable both in early infection and late after infection. Does not rule out other types of viral hepatitis.
Positive: Specimen is presumed to be reactive for Hepatitis B core IgM Antibodies.
Clinical Significance
IgM class antibodies against HBc are detected soon after infection and the presence of high concentrations of anti-HBc IgM has been shown to be an indicative marker of acute infection. The level of anti-HBc IgM decreases throughout the course of infection. However, low levels of anti-HBc IgM may persist for over a year after infection in some patients and are found occasionally in chronic carriers. The Anti-HBc IgM test is designed to detect anti-HBc IgM at an appropriate level of sensitivity as an aid for the diagnosis of acute or chronic hepatitis B infection. The detection of anti-HBc IgM can be useful for the differential diagnosis of hepatitis B from other forms of viral hepatitis.