At a glance
| Analyte | Hepatitis B surface antigen |
|---|---|
| Also called | Hepatitis B surface antigen, HBs Ag, Australia antigen |
| Method | Two-site sandwich chemiluminescence immunoassay |
| Sample type | Serum, Plasma |
| Panel | Infectious disease |
| Discipline | CLIA immunoassay |
| Brand | Mindray |
What HBsAg measures
Hepatitis B surface antigen is a protein of the viral envelope, and its presence in serum indicates that hepatitis B virus is present. It is the first marker to appear in an acute infection and it persists when infection becomes chronic, so it is the primary marker used to establish hepatitis B status. It does not by itself distinguish a recent infection from a long-standing one, nor indicate how much virus is present or how much liver damage has occurred; those questions are answered by other markers and by liver function testing. Interpretation and any further testing are directed by the requesting physician.
How Philippine laboratories run it
Hepatitis B is a significant public health burden in the Philippines, and HBsAg is requested very widely: in pre-employment and annual physical examination packages, in antenatal care, before certain procedures, and in the assessment of abnormal liver function. That mixture gives it both high steady volume and batch peaks alongside the other package assays, and it is typically among the higher-volume immunoassays on a Philippine bench. Laboratories should plan it generously and should be clear in their reporting that a reactive result leads to physician-directed follow-up rather than to a conclusion.
Analyzers it runs on
Calibrator, controls and companion tests
Delivered with the rest of the infectious disease panel, on the same schedule as HBsAg.
Storage and handling
Refrigerated, upright, and not frozen.
Buying HBsAg in the Philippines
HBsAg is supplied for the CL-2600i and CL-900i. We deliver it with ALT (SGPT) and AFP, because a run held up waiting on a separate order costs the same shift a stock-out does. Delivery is scheduled against your monthly HBsAg count, so the bench is not rationing tests in the last week of the month. How we plan clia immunoassay supply.
Questions about HBsAg
What does a reactive HBsAg result mean for the patient?
That hepatitis B surface antigen was detected, which indicates the virus is present. It does not distinguish a recent infection from a long-standing one, nor say anything about viral load or liver damage. Those questions need further markers and liver function testing, and the interpretation and follow-up are directed by the requesting physician rather than by the laboratory.
Can this assay be used for blood donor screening?
Blood donor screening in the Philippines is separately regulated and is carried out by DOH-licensed blood service facilities under their own requirements, which cover more than the choice of assay. Do not assume a diagnostic laboratory assay is appropriate for that purpose. If donor screening is your intended use, speak to us and to the relevant authority first.
Order HBsAg
Tell us your monthly HBsAg volume and we will quote a supply schedule for CL-2600i. We reply within one business day.
Request a quotation