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Test Code HAVAB Hepatitis A Virus, IgM Antibody [LAB798]

Performing Laboratory

UnityPoint Finley Hospital

Test Method

chemiluminescent μ-Capture test principle; Roche cobas Pro

Specimen Requirements

  1. Serum is the specimen of choice. Gel tubes are acceptable.
  2. Lithium heparin and EDTA plasma are also acceptable specimen types. 
  3. Hepatitis A Antibody IgM specimens are stable for 7 days at 15-25°C, 14 days at 2-8°C, and 3 months at -20°C.

Performance

Testing is performed 7 days a week Monday through Sunday.

Routine specimen requests are completed the same day received.

Stat requests are completed within 4 hours of receipt. 

Useful For

The hepatitis A virus is a RNA‑containing virus that lacks an envelope. It belongs to the family of picornaviruses.  After vaccination or natural infection, the immune response is directed against this structure. Hepatitis A is the most common form of acute viral hepatitis. It is transmitted by the fecal-oral route. The disease has not been known to take a chronic course, nor does the virus persist in the organism.

An acute or recently acquired hepatitis A infection can be assumed if anti‑HAV IgM antibodies are detected. Anti‑HAV IgM antibodies can always be detected at the onset of the disease, and usually disappear 3 to 4 months later. Anti‑HAV IgM can also be detected in some patients for a longer period of time, however. HAV IgM antibodies develop only very rarely after vaccination. Assays to detect anti‑HAV IgM antibodies are used in the differential diagnosis of hepatitis A from other forms of viral hepatitis.

Reference Values

Nonreactive

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