Preferred Specimen(s) 1 mL serum
Transport Container Plastic screw-cap vial
Transport Temperature
- Refrigerated 5 days,
- -20oC 4 weeks
Reject Criteria
- Gross hemolysis
- Lipemia
- Plasma
Methodology Chemiluminescence
Clinical Significance Persistence of HBeAg for greater than 6 months is a prognostic indicator of a chronic hepatitis B virus carrier state. The presence of anti-HBe serves to distinguish these two periods and confirms a sero-conversion. The appearance of anti-HBe or the sero-conversion from HBeAg positivity to anti-HBe positivity thus indicates a reduced level of infectious virus because virus replication has decreased. Though resolution of the disease generally follows, an HBsAg carrier state may persist. Anti-HBe positivity in this carrier is often associated with chronic asymptomatic infection. During the HBeAg positive stage, therefore, Hepatitis B patients are at increased risk of transmitting the virus to their contacts. Persistence of HBeAg in the epatitis B virus carrier is often associated with chronic active hepatitis.