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Hepatitis B test: IgM antibodies to HBcAg (Anti-HBcIgM) in blood
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 06.07.2025
Anti-HB with IgM are normally absent in the blood serum.
Anti-HB c IgM are detected already at the beginning of the acute phase of the disease, even before the appearance or in the first days of jaundice, sometimes even at the end of the incubation period. Detection of anti-HB c IgM is a convincing criterion for diagnosing viral hepatitis B, especially with negative results of the study for HB with Ag. Anti-HB c IgM circulate in the blood of patients for several months (2-5 months) until the recovery period, and then disappear, which is considered a sign of cleansing the body of the viral hepatitis B virus.
Blood testing for the presence of anti-HB c IgM is performed for the following purposes:
- diagnostics of the acute period of viral hepatitis B;
- diagnostics of the convalescence period of viral hepatitis B;
- diagnostics of anti-HB s -positive chronic viral hepatitis B;
- diagnostics of chronic carriage of the hepatitis B virus.
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