HEPATITIS В – DIAGNOSIS AND INVESTIGATIONS

« DONOVANOSIS (GRANULOMA INGUINALE) – CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS

HEPATITIS В – DIAGNOSIS AND INVESTIGATIONS

The organism cannot be cultured. The diagnosis is established by the demonstration of serological markers in blood. The markers are present in varying combinations during the course of the infection. The serological profile typical of each stage of the disease is summarised in table 3.

Surface antigen (HBsAg) is the first marker to appear and is present throughout the acute phase of the infection.

Hepatitis В e antigen (HBeAg) appears slightly later. It is present throughout the acute phase of the infection following a similar pattern to HBsAg.

Antibodies to surface antigen (anti-HBs) and e antigen (anti-HBe) appear 2 to 5 months after infection. In most cases of self-limiting infection, HBsAg disappears before anti-HBs appears; the length of the window period when neither HBsAg nor antiHBs is present is typically 2 to 6 weeks. Appearance of anti-HBs indicates immunity to hepatitis В virus.

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