Hepatitis B infection is a viral disease with serious effects on the liver. After the person is infected with the virus, signs of the disease may not be seen for a long time. In this process, liver damage is exacerbated and the risk of developing a chronic disease increases. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the test results related to hepatitis B correctly, to repeat the tests at regular intervals of people in the risk group, and to recognize positive antibodies and antigens in cases of immunity and infection. Three different test results, called the hepatitis B panel, should be considered in order to determine whether the person has been in contact with the hepatitis B virus, to evaluate the immune status against the disease, or to confirm the disease picture.
What is Anti-HBs?
Anti-HBs molecule, known as hepatitis B surface antibody, is one of the important values in the hepatitis B panel that shows whether the person is immune to the virus. After the body's contact with the virus, the immune system initiates the production of antibodies specific to that virus and tries to control the infection by recognizing the virus in this way. Therefore, the fact that the immune system has developed antibodies against a virus indicates that the body has come into contact with that virus naturally or through a vaccine. income. This value, which indicates active hepatitis B infection in the blood, can be determined by hepatitis B panel tests approximately 5 weeks before the symptoms of the infection appear. The HBsAg antigen, which reaches the highest level in case of acute infection, is then controlled by antiviral treatment and similar interventions and becomes negative within 4-6 months. Anti HBs antibody, which is used to evaluate the immune status, is measured as positive after a while after the infection is over and the HBsAg antigen becomes negative.
What Does Anti HBs Positive Mean?
Hepatitis called anti HBs B surface antibody is first synthesized after the person's immune system comes into contact with the virus directly or through vaccination, and is considered as an indicator that the immune cells have met this virus. vineyard After a while, the anti-HBs value in the blood rises after the light cells initiate the synthesis of antibodies against the hepatitis B virus, and in this way, the body develops immunity by encoding the virus to recognize it later. If the person comes into contact with the virus again in the future, these antibodies create an immune response quickly and the virus is quickly removed from the body without causing infection. Therefore, the high level of anti-HBs is an important value showing that the person has protection against hepatitis B virus. 3 doses are administered. Therefore, it is expected that all individuals who have been fully vaccinated according to the national vaccination calendar will be immune to the hepatitis B virus, and accordingly, the anti-HBs value will be high in the hepatitis B panel tests. If only the HBs surface antibody is positive, it should be known that the person is not infected with the virus and there is no risk of transmitting the virus to others.
What Does Anti-HBs Negative Mean?
Anti-HBs, synthesized after the person's contact with hepatitis B virus, should be known. The HBs antibody indicates successful production of protective antibodies against the disease and that the person's immune system already recognizes the virus. If anti HBs is negative, it is possible to say that the immune system has never come into contact with the hepatitis B virus, so the person is unvaccinated. A total of 3 doses of hepatitis vaccine are administered during the 6-month period. It becomes anti-HBs positive approximately 4 to 8 weeks after vaccination. Therefore, in case of low anti-HBs, the first thing that should come to mind is that the infancy vaccines of the person are not administered correctly. If the anti-HBs is negative, it can be said that the person does not have any protection against the hepatitis B virus, and in this case, it should be noted that serious liver infection may develop in contact with the virus.
How Many Should Anti-HBs Be?
become immune to the virus The anti-HBs antibody, which is used to assess whether p is present, becomes positive after natural infection or vaccination. If the person has had the disease directly and has become immune in this way, the anti HBs value starts to rise after a while after the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) turns negative. In vaccine-acquired immunity, this period varies between 4 and 8 weeks, and anti-HBs control is recommended after vaccination. The correct formation of the antibody response is extremely important for the complete protection of the person against the disease. Reaching an antibody level of > 10 Iu/L after vaccination; enough to protect the person from infection. In line with the statement made by the World Health Organization, it is possible to say that individuals who have been fully vaccinated in childhood are sufficient to protect the person from infection, even if the antibody response is lost over the years. However, people with any disease related to the immune system may need a reminder vaccine called a booster dose.
Anti-HBs Reference Range
Anti-HBs evaluated to determine the person's immune status against hepatitis B infection. The antibody is usually reported in two forms as “positive” or “negative”. A positive antibody indicates that the person's immune system recognizes the hepatitis B virus directly or through vaccination. If it is negative, it can be said that the body does not come into contact with this virus in any way, and the person is unprotected against the diseases that may occur with the virus. For these people, the normal value of anti-HBs is “positive”. However, in some cases, a detailed evaluation of the antibody level after vaccination may be required. Under normal conditions, it is expected that the anti-HBs value will turn positive approximately 4-8 weeks after vaccination and be above 10 Iu/L in subsequent controls.
Hepatitis B virus, which seriously affects liver health, causes an extremely complex infection picture and it is one of the important viruses that requires close monitoring. vaccinated people huh It is expected that he will be fully immune to the disease, but certain diseases that affect the immune system can complicate the situation. Therefore, it is important to carry out all screenings for this virus completely, to have information about the transmission routes of the disease even if vaccinated, and to know that the susceptibility to viral infections increases in case of any disease affecting the immune system. You can also include liver function tests in your routine health check-ups, and follow up the disease and immune values related to hepatitis B at regular intervals.
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