Page 23 - Clinical Biochemistry 08PB804

• It is the first detectable viral antigen to appear during infection. However, early in an
infection, this antigen may not be present and it may be undetectable later in the infection as it
is being cleared by the host.

• Shortly after the appearance of the HBsAg, another antigen named as the hepatitis B e
antigen (HBeAg) appears.

• Traditionally, the presence of HBeAg in a host's serum is associated with much higher rates
of viral replication and enhanced infectivity.

• The time between the removal of the HBsAg and the appearance of anti-HBs is called the
window period.

• A person negative for HBsAg but positive for anti-HBs has either cleared an infection or
has been vaccinated previously.

• Individuals who remain HBsAg positive for at least six months are considered to be
hepatitis B carriers.

• PCR tests have been developed to detect and measure the amount of HBV DNA, called the
viral load, in clinical specimens.

Hepatitis C Virus

• Hepatitis C is an infectious disease affecting the liver, caused by the hepatitis C virus
(HCV).

• The virus was first identified in the 1970s as "non-A non-B hepatitis" then proven
conclusively in 1989.

• The Hepatitis C virus is a small (50 nm in size), enveloped, single-stranded, positive sense
RNA virus.

• There are six major genotypes of the hepatitis C virus.

Factors that have been reported to influence the rate of HCV disease progression include:

• Age (increasing age associated with more rapid progression).

• Gender (males have more rapid disease progression than females).

• Alcohol consumption (associated with an increased rate of disease progression).