Weird hepatitis B test results

I posted this question in sci.med.diseases.hepatitis last week,
but no one replied. I'm hoping maybe I'll have better luck here.

I'm interested in opinions on a set of strange test results
related to hepatitis B.

After donating blood in 2001, I was informed by the blood bank
that my blood had tested "reactive" to the hepatitis B core
antibody. The blood bank test was part of the routine screening
that gets done nowadays on all donated blood.

My doctor did another hepatitis B core antibody test on me in
2003, and I tested reactive on that test too. I had previously
been told by the blood bank that if I were to test reactive to
anti-HBc twice, I would be permanently barred from giving blood.

However, several other hepatitis B tests performed on me between
2001 and 2006 were negative. Specifically, the following were
all negative:

HB surface antigen
HB surface antibody
HB core IgM
HB "e" antibody
HB viral DNA

I was vaccinated against hepatitis B last year (2006). After
the third (last) dose, I was tested again for anti-HBs, and
this time the test result was positive (whereas previously it
had been negative). Possibly unfortunately, no anti-HBs tests
were performed after the first or second dose of vaccine --
only after the last.

My set of assumptions at this point is that:

(1) since the anti-HBc results were not corroborated by any of
the other tests, they were most likely false positives;

(2) the other (negative) test results strongly suggest that
I had never had hep-B, had never been exposed to hep-B,
and had (up till that time) never been vaccinated against
hep-B; and

(3) the changing of my anti-HBs test result from negative to
positive after the vaccination series confirmed that the
vaccination had worked and that I am now immune.

Are there any other plausible explanations for the above set
of test results? Would any other tests be advisable at this
point? Or can I be satisfied that I am safe from hepatitis B?

For better or for worse, the (repeatable) positive anti-HBc
result means I am unable to donate blood any more, no matter
what any other test results might say. Too bad, I guess --
my blood type is AB+, which I'm sure blood banks would like
to have if there weren't this concern over possible HBV. Is
any promising work being done on improved hepatitis screening
tests for use on donated blood, which might have fewer false
positive results?

Rich Wales richw@xxxxxxxxx http://www.richw.org
*DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor. My comments are for discussion pur-
poses only and are not intended to be relied upon as medical advice.

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Weird hepatitis B test results
    ... After donating blood in 2001, I was informed by the blood bank ... that my blood had tested "reactive" to the hepatitis B core ... anti-HBc twice, I would be permanently barred from giving blood. ... vaccination had worked and that I am now immune. ...
    (sci.med)
  • Re: Weird hepatitis B test results
    ... After donating blood in 2001, I was informed by the blood bank ... that my blood had tested "reactive" to the hepatitis B core ... Possibly unfortunately, no anti-HBs tests ... possibility can be ruled out by a vaccine challenge and following the ...
    (sci.med)
  • Re: i just want to ask if my hepa b status is contagious...
    ... The term "hepatitis" refers to syndromes or diseases causing liver ... chronic, life-long infection. ... Hepatitis B is transmitted via blood and other body fluids. ...
    (sci.med)
  • Re: Weird hepatitis B test results
    ... > In the past the gold standard for hepatitis B was the HBsAg ... I routinely donated blood, ... that my anti-HBc results were truly genuine and not false positives. ... Source Plasma donors be tested for anti-HBc. ...
    (sci.med)
  • How Is Hepatitis C Spread?
    ... The hepatitis C virus is spread through contact with infected ... Common routes of infection include blood transfusions before ... Needlestick injuries can occur from handling hypodermic needles, ... These infections are called sporadic or community-acquired infections. ...
    (soc.culture.burma)
Loading