HBc Ab
Competitive Enzyme ImmunoAssay (ELISA) for the determination of antibodies to Hepatitis B core Antigen in human plasma and sera.
“Hepatitis B is one of the major diseases of mankind and is a serious global public health problem. Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver, and the most common cause is infection with one of 5 viruses, called hepatitis A,B,C,D, and E. All of these viruses can cause an acute disease with symptoms lasting several weeks including yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice); dark urine; extreme fatigue; nausea; vomiting and abdominal pain. It can take several months to a year to feel fit again. Hepatitis B virus can cause chronic infection in which the patient never gets rid of the virus and many years later develops cirrhosis of the liver or liver cancer.
HBV is the most serious type of viral hepatitis and the only type causing chronic hepatitis for which a vaccine is available. Hepatitis B virus is transmitted by contact with blood or body fluids of an infected person in the same way as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS. However, HBV is 50 to 100 times more infectious than HIV. The main ways of getting infected with HBV are: (a) perinatal (from mother to baby at the birth); (b) child- tochild transmission; (c) unsafe injections and transfusions; (d) sexual contact.
The assay is based on the principle of competition where the antibodies in the sample compete with a monoclonal antibody for a fixed amount of antigen on the solid phase.
A purified recombinant HBcAg is coated to the microwells. The patient’s serum/plasma is added to the microwell together with an additive able to block interferences present in the sample.
In the second incubation after washing, a monoclonal antibody, conjugated with Horseradish Peroxidase (HRP) and specific for HBcAg is added and binds to the free rec-HBcAg coated on the plastic.
After incubation, microwells are washed to remove any unbound conjugate and then the chromogen/substrate is added. In the presence of peroxidase enzyme the colorless substrate is hydrolyzed to a colored end-product.
The color intensity is inversely proportional to the amount of antibodies to HBcAg present in the sample.
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