Immunoassay for the quantitative determination of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)
Hepatitis B is a potentially life threatening liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). It is transmitted through contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person.1
The disease is not always self limiting: In adults approx. 5 % of acute infections will follow a chronic course of varying degrees of severity; infants will develop chronic hepatitis B in up to 90 % of the cases.1
Approximately 300 million people are estimated to be living with HBV Infection. In 2015, hepatitis B resulted in 887,000 deaths, mostly from complications (including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma).1 Sustained HBsAg loss with or without seroconversion to anti-HBs is associated with complete immune control of the virus, remission of the activity of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and an improved long-term outcome.2-4
Seroclearance of HBsAg is now considered the goal for a functional cure of CHB.5 As a result, quantification of HBsAg levels is routinely used to monitor natural disease progression and to predict the response to antiviral treatment in CHB patients receiving peginterferon alfa-2a and nucleos(t)ide analogues, as well as during clinical studies of new HBV therapeutics.6-7
* Measuring range for undiluted samples: 0.05 – 130 IU/mL for all platforms