Hepatitis Profile

What are hepatitis A, B, and C blood tests?

Hepatitis is a general term that means inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis A, B, and C are infections of the liver caused by different viruses. The blood tests described here help determine if hepatitis is caused by one of these viruses.

Why are these tests done?

There are many possible causes of hepatitis. These blood tests help determine if the liver inflammation is resulting from infection with the hepatitis A, B, or C viruses.

How do I prepare for this test?

You don't need to take any special precautions or change your diet before your have this test.

How is the test done?

A small amount of blood is taken from your arm with a needle. The blood is collected in tubes and sent to a lab.

Having this test will take just a few minutes of your time. There is no risk of getting AIDS, hepatitis, or any other blood-borne disease from this test.

How will I get the test result?

Ask your health care provider when and how you will get the result of your test.

What do the test results mean?

The results of the various hepatitis blood tests are summarized below. These tests are divided into two groups. The first group tests for the presence of the virus in the blood. These are called antigen tests. The second group tests for the body's reaction to the infection. These are called antibody tests.

• Hepatitis A
• infection: A positive antigen test (called an HAV or hepatitis A virus test) and a positive antibody test (called an IgM anti-HAV antibody test) mean you currently have an acute hepatitis A infection. If you have had hepatitis in the past, your antigen test will be negative, but the antibody test will be positive.
• Hepatitis B
• infection: A positive antigen test (called an HbsAg or hepatitis B virus surface antigen test) and a positive antibody test (called IgM anti-HBc or IgM hepatitis B virus core antibody test) mean you currently have an acute hepatitis B infection. If you have had hepatitis for 6 months or more (chronic hepatitis), the antigen test will be positive but the antibody test will be negative. If you have had shots to protect you against hepatitis, the antigen test will be negative and the antibody test will be positive.
• Hepatitis C
• infection: A positive antibody test (called an anti-HCV or antibody to hepatitis C virus test) means you currently have an acute hepatitis C infection. To check for chronic infection, tests are done to measure the amounts of specific hepatitis C viral proteins (antigens) present in the blood. If these tests remain positive for several months, the disease is said to be chronic. In other words, your body wasn't able to completely clear the infection.

What if my test result is not normal?

Test results are only one part of a larger picture that takes into account your medical history and current health. Sometimes a test needs to be repeated to check the first result. Talk to your health care provider about your result and ask questions.

If your test results are not normal, ask your health care provider:

• if you need additional tests
• when you need to be tested again.

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