HBS analysis: how is the decoding performed, which shows

Hepatitis B is an extremely dangerous disease, the course of which affects liver cells and sooner or later leads to the destruction of the organ. For the purpose of timely diagnosis of pathology, doctors prescribe an analysis of Hbs. This is a laboratory study that allows you to identify both antigens and antibodies produced by the body.

HbsAg and anti-Hbs: concept

The causative agent of hepatitis B is a virus. It consists of a specific set of proteins that determine the properties of a pathogenic microorganism. Those that are on the surface are called antigens. It is they that the immune system can recognize and subsequently produce antibodies whose task is to destroy the virus.

Surface antigen and is indicated in laboratory reports as Hbs Ag. This indicator is a very reliable marker of hepatitis B. However, to make an accurate diagnosis, not only this analysis is carried out.

Some time after the penetration of a pathogenic agent into the body, the immune system starts the process of producing antibodies. In this case, in conclusion, the laboratory specialists make a note “anti-Hbs test positive”. At the same time, according to the concentration of antibodies in the blood, the doctor can determine the stage of the course of hepatitis B. As a rule, the pathogen is detected in the liquid connective tissue 3 months from the moment of infection. However, medicine knows cases when a person has been a carrier of the virus all his life.

If the outcome of the disease is recovery or the pathology has turned into a chronic form, antigens in the blood are not detected. As a rule, this happens 3-4 months after the development of the pathological process. Antibodies appear immediately after infection, while their concentration only increases over time. They can be detected even throughout life. Thanks to this, the body becomes immune to the repeated penetration of the pathogen into its tissue.

Indications

It is important to understand that a blood test for Hbs is a specific study. It is prescribed only if the doctor has suspicions about the progression of hepatitis B.

Indications for analysis of Hbs:

• Frequent episodes of headache.
• Gradual deterioration of health.
• Violation of appetite until its complete loss.
• Weakness, lethargy.
• Pain in the muscles and joints.
• Signs of a respiratory illness.
• Urine discoloration. In appearance, urine is associated with dark beer.
• Yellowing of the mucous membrane of the oral cavity and sclera. The skin gets the same shade, it is most noticeable on the palms of the hands.

In addition, you need to know that a blood test for Hbs is a study that is mandatory for children whose mother suffers from hepatitis B. This is due to the fact that the virus is easily transmitted by transplacental route. In addition, blood donation for Hbs is recommended for all people who have an erratic sex life, as well as for people in whose family at least one member has been diagnosed with hepatitis B.

Training

To get the most reliable result, you must follow certain rules. The doctor, upon appointment, without fail tells what the analysis of Hbs Ag and anti-Hbs is, how to prepare for it and how many days to wait for the results.

Rules of conduct before the delivery of biological material:

• Blood sampling is carried out on an empty stomach. The last meal should take place in 8-10 hours. At the same time, it is recommended to give preference to easily digestible dishes. You can drink only clean still water. Liquids containing even a minimal amount of sugar are prohibited. This is because glucose intake can significantly distort the results of Hbs analysis.
• Immediately prior to delivery of the biomaterial, brushing your teeth is not recommended. This is because most pastes contain sugar.
• A day before the study, it is necessary to exclude fatty dishes from the menu. Even the use of butter often makes it impossible to analyze Hbs. What should be the diet? The menu should contain vegetables and fruits (except those that are yellow and orange), low-fat varieties of meat or fish, cereals from all kinds of cereals.
• For 2 days, you must abandon the use of alcohol-containing drinks.
• No smoking is allowed 1 hour before the blood donation procedure. This is due to the fact that tobacco negatively affects the indicators of homeostasis.
• It is advisable to stop taking all medicines 2 weeks before the study. If this is not possible for health reasons, it is necessary to inform the doctor about this.
• A day before blood sampling, it is necessary to abandon high-intensity physical exertion.

In addition, the psycho-emotional state of a person can affect the final result. In this regard, it is recommended to sit quietly and think about something good 15 minutes before the blood donation.

Laboratory diagnostics

The study is quality. In other words, the result can be positive or negative.

The biological material is venous blood. The algorithm of her fence is as follows:

• The nurse places a tourniquet on the forearm (just above the elbow).
• The next step is the treatment of the skin at the proposed injection site with an antiseptic.
• A nurse inserts a needle into a vein located on the elbow, and fills the tube with blood. If the vessel is not available for palpation, another is selected.

Immediately after collection, the biological material is sent to the laboratory. If the Hbs analysis is negative, additional diagnostic measures are not required. If it is positive, quantitative studies may be prescribed by your doctor.

Express diagnostics at home

Currently, it is possible to independently conduct an analysis of Hbs for hepatitis B. For this, it is enough to purchase a kit for express diagnostics in a pharmacy. To carry out qualitative research (but not quantitative), neither special equipment nor reagents are required.

The algorithm for express diagnostics:

• Treat any finger with an antiseptic solution.
• Pierce the skin with the scarifier included in the kit.
• Squeeze 3 drops of blood into the test strip. In this case, it is desirable that the finger does not touch it.
• Wait 1 minute.
• After the specified time, add 3 drops of the buffer solution to the test strip. The latter is also included.
• Evaluate the result after 10-15 minutes.

If you receive a dubious or positive result, you must contact a medical institution and re-donate blood for analysis.

Methods of researching biomaterial

Currently, there are already 3 generations of methods for serological diagnosis of hepatitis B. They are presented in the table below.

The most informative today are RIA and IFA. This is due to the fact that during the study it is possible to identify immunoglobulins of classes M and G separately. This allows you to evaluate the dynamics of the pathological process.

The newest diagnostic method is PCR (polymerase chain reaction). This method is not only qualitative, but also quantitative. In addition, PCR studies can be carried out even at the initial stage of the development of pathology.

Interpretation of Results

Decryption of the Hbs analysis should be done by an infectious disease specialist or hepatologist. In most cases, self-interpretation leads to false conclusions. This is due to the fact that during decryption it is necessary to take into account the value of not only Hbs Ag, but also other markers of hepatitis B, including the presence of antibodies.

As a rule, several indicators are indicated in the laboratory conclusion. Their comparison and allows you to make an accurate diagnosis. Variants of values ​​and their interpretation are presented in the table below.

Upon receipt of a doubtful or positive result, the doctor prescribes additional studies. Quantitative diagnostic methods allow you to determine the exact concentration of antibodies / antigens in the fluid connective tissue.

Positive result: what to do next

In this case, it is customary to talk about the presence of hepatitis B in the patient's body. In this case, most often the disease is in the acute phase. As mentioned above, with a positive result, more research is needed. When confirming the presence of an ailment, an Hbs analysis should be taken regularly. This allows the doctor to timely monitor the smallest changes in the body.

Based on the results of the diagnosis, the specialist draws up the most effective treatment regimen. As a rule, it includes the following items:

• Bed rest.
• Restriction of physical activity.
• Diet.
• Taking or administering medications (antiviral drugs, immunomodulators, detoxification solutions).

According to the current legislation of the Russian Federation, information about persons diagnosed with hepatitis B is transmitted to the Department of Registration and Registration of Pathologies of Infectious Character of the State Sanitary Epidemiological Surveillance.

You can donate blood for analysis anonymously. But in this case, the information is not transmitted to the appropriate authority and, as a result, a person, upon receipt of a positive result, cannot be hospitalized and receive medical care.

Where to turn in

The collection of biological material for research is carried out in any independent laboratory or private medical institution. Regarding how much a blood test is done on Hbs. The term directly depends on the chosen diagnostic method. As a rule, the expectation is a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 3 working days.

Cost

It is important to know that you need to pay for Hbs Ag and anti-Hbs. Research, even with a medical insurance policy, is not free. The cost of one analysis is approximately 250 rubles.

Finally

Hepatitis B is a serious pathology, ignoring which leads to irreversible consequences. For timely detection of the disease, you can donate blood for analysis. Clinically significant indicators are Hbs Ag and anti-Hbs. In the first case, we are talking about antigen - a surface protein. It is to this substance that the body's defenses react. The immune system begins to produce antibodies, the task of which is to destroy the pathogen. If you get a positive result for hepatitis B, you must undergo treatment. In this case, blood must be donated regularly.