Hepatitis A virus (HAV), IgG antibodies

Why this test?

To evaluate the effectiveness of vaccination against hepatitis A. 

After vaccination, antibodies to hepatitis A appear in a person's blood a few weeks later, which means that the vaccination was successful (the body developed immunity to infection).

To identify the type of virus that caused hepatitis.

In what cases is it prescribed?

When symptoms characteristic of liver damage occur: yellowing of the skin and external mucous membranes, darkening of urine, disorder and lightening of the stool, dyspeptic manifestations, discomfort in the right hypochondrium.

For the control of persons of the following professions: service personnel in children's departments of hospitals, staff of nurseries and kindergartens, dentists who operate on surgeons.

Future potential blood donors and organ donors are also screened.

As a stage of differential diagnosis in case of an increase in the level of enzymes that indicate impaired liver function or death of hepatocytes (bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GHT), alkaline phosphatase).

Test information 

Hepatitis A is an acute inflammation of the liver caused by an RNA-containing virus that is usually transmitted through the oral-fecal route. The disease most often ends with self-healing. This pathology often occurs with a picture of cholestasis. Through the water route of transmission of this nosology, disease outbreaks are characteristic, especially in close and crowded collectives with common areas allocated for food.

Hepatitis A virus consists of four structural polypeptides. Replication of the virus occurs exclusively in the cytoplasm of cells. Exposure to the hepatitis A virus causes a strong immunological response from the body, which is accompanied by the production of immunoglobulin M first, and then immunoglobulin G. Antibodies of class G in the blood are an indicator of the body's contact with the infection in the past, as well as the fact of immunity against it.

The test for determining immunoglobulin G against viral hepatitis A detects special proteins (antibodies) in the blood, which are produced by the body in response to exposure to the virus.

Despite the fact that there are several types of hepatitis and all of them are accompanied by liver damage, it is very important to understand which virus caused the disease, thereby preventing the spread of the infection and starting appropriate treatment in time.

This infection is spread through the consumption of food and/or water contaminated with the virus excreted in the stool of a sick person.

The presence of immunoglobulins of class G in the body indicates a recent encounter of a person with the hepatitis A virus. Somewhere after 8-12 weeks from the moment of infection, these antibodies to the virus appear in the blood and persist throughout life, thereby ensuring immunity to this infection.