Anti-HBc | Hepatitis B core (core) antigen antibodies

Hepatitis B core (anti-HBc) antigen antibodies (Anti-HBc) - appear after the onset of HBV infection and can usually be detected in the serum soon after the appearance of HBsAg. Anti-HBc persists in individuals who have recovered from hepatitis B infection and in inactive HBV carriers. Thus, they are a marker of past or current hepatitis B infection. Anti-HBc is not produced after vaccination. Because of the persistence of anti-HBc after hepatitis B infection, screening using anti-HBc can be performed to identify previously infected individuals. Anti-HBc detection, together with other hepatitis B tests, helps to diagnose and monitor HBV infection. In the absence of other markers of hepatitis B (in HBsAg-negative individuals), anti-HBc may be the only marker of existing HBV infection.