American Board of Surgery Qualifying Exam (ABS QE) Practice Test

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What is indicated by a positive HBcAb?

Active infection
Previous infection
Immunity from vaccination
No infection

The correct answer is: Previous infection

A positive result for HBcAb, or Hepatitis B core antibody, indicates that there has been a previous infection with the Hepatitis B virus. When the virus infects an individual, the body generates IgM and later IgG antibodies to the core antigen (HBcAg). The presence of these antibodies serves as evidence that the individual was exposed to the virus at some point, whether through active infection or resolved infection. Unlike the surface antibody (HBsAb), which signifies immunity either from vaccination or past infection, HBcAb specifically denotes that there has been a response to the core antigen, confirming past exposure to the virus. In contrast, other options pertain to different scenarios of infection status or immunity that are characterized by different serological markers.