Hepatitis B Core IgM Antibody

Test Code

HBCM

Alias/See Also

Included in Hepatitis Profile

CPT Codes
86705

Preferred Specimen

Serum (gold top tube)

Minimum Volume

1 mL

Other Acceptable Specimens

Lithium Heparin Plasma (green top tube)

Transport Container

Serum (gold top) or Lithium Heparin (green top) Tube

Transport Temperature

Room Temperature or Refrigeration

Specimen Stability

Room Temperature - 8 hours; Refrigerated - 7 days

Reject Criteria (Eg, hemolysis? Lipemia? Thaw/Other?)

Hemolysis, Turbidity, Quantity Not Sufficient, IV contamination

Methodology
Chemiluminescence

Setup Schedule

Daily Upon Receipt

Report Available

Immediately upon completion of test resulting in LIS.

Limitations

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.

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.

The CPT Codes provided in this document are based on AMA guidelines and are for informational purposes only. CPT coding is the sole responsibility of the billing party. Please direct any questions regarding coding to the payor being billed. Any Profile/panel component may be ordered separately. Reflex tests are performed at an additional charge.