for Veterans and the Public

HBsAg (hepatitis B surface antigen)

A positive test result means you are infected with hepatitis B.

HBsAb (hepatitis B surface antibody)

A positive test result means you have antibodies to hepatitis B. If you also test positive for HBcAb, then you were infected or exposed to hepatitis B virus in the past, cleared the virus, and are now "immune" (protected) against another infection with hepatitis B. If you test positive for HBsAb but negative for HBcAb, then you were vaccinated against hepatitis B and are protected by the vaccination.

HBcAb (hepatitis B core antibody)

A positive test result means you once were infected with hepatitis B.

HBV DNA (hepatitis B DNA)

A positive test result means you have the hepatitis B virus in the bloodstream and this is called "chronic hepatitis B." You may be right for hepatitis B drug treatments. A negative result means you do not have hepatitis B replicating or circulating in the bloodstream and you do not need hepatitis B drug treatments.

HBeAg (hepatitis B e antigen)

A positive test result means you have the hepatitis B virus in the bloodstream. If you are HBV DNA positive but this HBeAg test result is negative, then you still have the hepatitis B virus in your bloodstream.

Hepatitis A antibody total

A positive test result means you have been infected with hepatitis A in the past or were vaccinated against hepatitis A in the past but are now immune (protected) against being infected with hepatitis A virus in the future.