Hepatitis B blood test

[Sharon]

Just got blood test results back.
They checked for Hepatitis B due to the biological Orenica I'm on.
Can anyone please tell me what these results mean?

HBS ANTIGEN                NEGATIVE
HBS ANTIBODY                   0.26 MIU/ML
Nonimmune

[Tharrell]

It means you are immune to Hep B.
http://education.questdiagnostics.com/faq/FAQ105

[Sharon]

Thank you Tharrell!
But then why does it say "nonimmune" on my test?

[Jasper]

Sharon, did you have the Hepatitis B core antibody test run also? It should have been run along with the others.

The reason you need the Hep B core antibody test is because  if it is positive then you have had Hep B in the past. If you have had Hep B in the past then immune suppressants can reactivate Hepatitis B.

Take a look at the Hep B tests at labtestsonline:

https://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/hepatitis-b/tab/test/


You are not immune if the HBS antibody level is less than 12.  Yours is only  0.26.

" A positive result indicates recovery from acute or chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, or acquired immunity from HBV vaccination. This assay does not differentiate between a vaccine-induced immune response and an immune response induced by infection with HBV. A positive total anti-hepatitis B core (anti-HBc) result would indicate that the hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) response is due to past HBV infection.

Positive results (quantitative hepatitis B surface antibody [anti-HBs] levels of > or =12.0 mIU/mL) indicate adequate immunity to hepatitis B from past hepatitis B or HBV vaccination. After receiving a primary HBV vaccine series, individuals with anti-HBs levels of 12 mIU/mL or greater are considered protected from hepatitis B in accordance with the CDC guideline.(1)"

http://www.mayomedicallaboratories.com/test-catalog/Clinical+and+Interpretive/8254

[Sharon]

Thanks Jasper!
These were all I was given and none of them seems to be the Heb B core test.
Strange since my parents claim I WAS VACCINATED for Hep B.


HBS ANTIGEN                NEGATIVE

HBS ANTIBODY                   0.26 MIU/ML

Nonimmune

HCV ABS                    NEGATIVE

[Linda196]

You very well may have been vaccinated. Without having had a titre done afterward to check for conversion, you may not have developed immunity and that was never known.

Some people don't develop antigens, others take longer to do so, and some that develop sufficient antigens, lose them over time. Studies have shown adequate coverage usually continues for 15 years after vaccination in infancy (under 6 months of age), but the percentage of adequately covered individuals drops slightly if the vaccine is given between the ages of 6 months and 4 years. There hasn't been much followup in those studies after the age of 15, but many doctors (and medical employers) ask that titres be done in adulthood and "boosters" be given if titres are low.

[Tharrell]

oh snap, my apologies! When I looked at the article I forgot there was a dot in front of the 26! As they say: the b**** is in the details!

[Jasper]

Sharon ..... Just for comparison, I was vaccinated for Hepatitis B several years ago. Actually, I had 2 vaccinations, one in the 1980s when they first came out and another in 1995 or 1996. The earliest formulations were not considered as effective as the later formulation so we nurses were all encouraged to get re-vaccinated with the newer formulation.

Here are my Hep B surface antibody results from last fall:

Hepatitis B Surface Antibody    >1000.00
Reactive, Patient is considered to be immune to infection with hepatitis B when the value is greater than or equal to 12.0 m[IU]/mL. m[IU]/mL    <8.00 m[IU]/mL

So you can definitely see the difference between my result of  >1000 compared to your result of 0.26 and you can see that I am considered to be immune to Hep B infection.

Maybe you need to get another Hep B vaccination.

[Sharon]

Thank you gals,
I can't get vaccinated now for Hep.B because I'm already on the biological Orencia
so I could get sick from the vaccination itself now!

Tharrell- Did you get vaccinated for this before beginning Orencia?

[Tharrell]

No Sharon, I was never vaccinated. On the plus side I had Hep A when I was 15 and I think I can't catch it again. Let me look at my labs for the Hep B and C.
Hepatitis B core total AB-negative
Hepatiris C AB -negative 0.1
Hep B surface antigen negative
Hep A IgG reactive- cause I had it.

[Sharon]

Okay, thanks Tharrell.
I might stop the Orencia in any case...
I feel dizzy and faint on it to the degree of being non-functional  (2 months now)

[Tharrell]

I'm so sorry it is causing you side effects!