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Home Our Specialties Pathology Pathology Lab Services HEPATITIS VIRAL PANEL TESTS Hepatitis B screen

HEPATITIS, VIRAL – PANEL TESTS (Hepatitis B screen)

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Test Description

Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg) & Antibody to Surface Antigen (anti-HBs) or IgM Antibody to Core Antigen (anti-HBc IgM)

Specimen Required

6 – 8 mL plain blood.

Hepatitis B screen: To test for present or past hepatitis B infection. The serum will first be tested for HBsAg. If HBsAg is negative, serum will be quantitatively tested for anti-HBs. If HBsAg is positive, it will be tested for anti-HBc IgM instead.

Storage/Transport

Refrigerate samples if delay in transporting to laboratory is anticipated. Do not freeze.

Method

Chemiluminescent Microparticle Immunoassay

Test Results

HBsAg	Anti-HBs	Anti-HBc IgM	Interpretation
-	<10 mIU/mL	Not Tested	Non-immune to hepatitis B
-	≥ 10 mIU/mL	Not Tested	Antibody present: immune if level >10 mIU/mL
+	Not Tested	+	Acute type B hepatitis
+	Not Tested	-	Possible hepatitis B carrier

Turnaround Time

<1 – 2 days

Day(s) Test Set up

See Serological tests for Hepatitis B.

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Last Updated - 13 Jun 2025

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