Viral hepatitis-B is a severe infectious pathology in which the liver is the target. After entering the body, the virus is introduced into hepatocytes, with their help it multiplies and thus increases its pool. When a certain concentration is reached, the liver is damaged with the appearance of the corresponding symptoms:
Severity and pain in the right hypochondrium;
Nausea, vomiting after eating, indigestion;
Yellowness of the skin;
Itchy skin;
In case of progression of the disease - liver failure.
The appearance of these signs is an indication for the study of HBsAg - a peptide located on the surface of the virus. It is this protein that appears in the blood earlier than other indicators (after 3-5 weeks) and signals a high probability of HBV infection. During these periods, the clinical picture may still be absent, but the marker of infection is already being determined, therefore, the HBsAg analysis should be performed for the following category of people:
Preventively for medical professionals, tattooists;
After contact with blood or blood transfusion;
Before planning surgery or in case of frequent invasive interventions;
After unprotected sex;
Injection drug addicts;
If there is an infected person in the family or close environment;
Before vaccination;
Donors;
Pregnant;
With pathological values of liver enzymes (especially ALT);
In differential diagnostics.
Interpretation should only be carried out by a specialist doctor, since a positive result can have different meanings:
Recent infection with a low titer or active hepatitis-B with a high titer;
Chronic hepatitis;
Simple carriage (the person himself is not sick, but others can infect);
False positive response (after inflammatory processes, immunotherapy, autoimmune diseases, immunodeficiency).
With a negative sample, especially if the risk of infection was high enough, the analysis must be repeated after a few weeks in view of the possible delay in the incubation period. For quick and affordable research, rapid tests are used today, which can be purchased at most pharmacies. Despite the fact that these systems allow only a qualitative determination (positive or negative response), nevertheless, their result can serve as an essential indication for a more thorough and in-depth serological diagnosis of HBsAg by ELISA.
