Sometimes infections can be detected based on the presence of certain proteins that the body makes as a result of the infection. The hepatitis B core antibody is a protein produced by the body in response to hepatitis B.
Antibodies
Antibodies, such as the hepatitis B core antibody, are proteins made by the immune system in response to infections, the Hepatitis B Foundation explains. When the immune system detects an infectious agent, it will make antibodies that are designed to bind to components of the pathogen and either inactivate it or kill the infection.
Hepatitis B Core
Hepatitis B is composed of many different parts. One portion of the virus is known as the core; this portion of the virus cannot be found in the blood but is only present in the liver of infected patients, Lab Tests Online explains. The immune system can still manufacture antibodies, however, to this core, resulting in these antibodies being found in the blood of infected patients.
Clinical Significance
The hepatitis B core antibody is the first antibody made by the immune system in response to an infection with hepatitis B, notes Lab Tests Online. As a result, it can be used to diagnose acute cases of hepatitis B and is often used as a screening test.
