Hepatitis B testing Research Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology “Georgi D. Efremov”, MASA What is Hepatitis B? Hepatitis B is an infectious inflammatory illness of the liver caused by the hepatitis B virus. Acute hepatitis B is a short-term infection with the hepatitis B virus. Symptoms usually last several weeks but they can last up to 6 months. The infection sometimes clears up because your body is able to fight off the infection and get rid of the virus. Most healthy adults and children older than 5 who have hepatitis B get better without treatment. Chronic hepatitis B is a long-lasting infection with the hepatitis B virus. Chronic hepatitis B occurs when the body can’t get rid of the hepatitis B virus. Children, especially infants, are more likely to get chronic hepatitis B, which usually has no symptoms until signs of liver damage appear. Without treatment, chronic hepatitis B can cause liver cancer or severe liver damage that leads to liver failure. Liver failure occurs when the liver stops working properly. How can you get hepatitis B? Hepatitis B is a blood-borne disease. The main source of infection is from blood from an infected person. Most cases are caused by using contaminated needles or injecting equipment to inject drugs or other injuries involving blood spillage from infected people, from sharing toothbrushes, razors, and other items which may be contaminated with infected blood. There is a small risk from re-used equipment used for tattooing, body piercing, acupuncture, etc. Also there is a small risk that an infected mother can pass on the infection to her baby or an infected person can pass on the virus whilst having sex. The virus is not passed on during normal social contact, such as holding hands, hugging, or sharing cups or crockery. What are the symptoms of hepatitis B infection? Most people remain healthy without any symptoms while they fight off the virus. Some will not even know they have been infected. However, until the virus has been cleared from their body, they can pass it onto others. If there are any symptoms, they will develop on average days after exposure to the hepatitis B virus. Flu-like symptoms, such as tiredness, general aches and pains, headaches and a high temperature of or above 38 ° C, loss of appetite and weight loss, feeling sick, being sick, diarhea, pain in your upper right-hand side, yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice). How is hepatitis B diagnosed? The tests, called assays, for detection of hepatitis B virus infection involve serum or blood tests that detect either viral antigens (proteins produced by the virus) or antibodies produced by the host. However, this test remains positive even in people who have cleared the virus from their body. If the antibody/antigens test is positive, then a further blood test is needed to see if the virus is still present. This is called a HBV DNA-PCR test. This is a more specialized test which detect the DNA virus. There are several variants of the HBV DNA-PCR test by which we can detect and quantify the virus. Who should be tested? The following groups should be tested for HBV:  Anyone who shares equipment for injecting drug use, including needles and syringes, as well as other injecting equipment or has done so in the past  Patients who have abnormal liver function test results  People who have had a sexual partner who is hepatitis B positive  Patients on hemodialysis  Healthcare workers who perform exposure-prone procedures HBV tests performed at RCGEB HBV assayPrice (МКД) HBV DNA PCR detection3500 HBV DNA PCR quantification 4300 Literature: Valsamiki S, A. 2007: Molecular Testing in the Diagnosis Management of Chronic Hepatitis B. Clinical Microbiology Reviews, Analysis method performed at RCGEB HBV diagnosis at RCGEB is performed by two analysis. First, HBV detection is performed by PCR/ASO hybridization method. Second analysis quantification of HBV DNA is performed using AMPLICOR HBV Monitor kit (Roche Molecular Diagnostics, Pleasanton, California, USA). The analysis has the limit of quantification of 1000 copies/ml. Material for testing Whole blood specimens in sterile tubes without anticoagulant EDTA RCGEB, 2013