Common Viral Hepatitis Screening
The liver is the largest organ that is the focus of many essential physiological events such as blood glucose balance, plasma protein production, lipids, lipoproteins, bile acids production and secretion, storage of vitamins (E, K, D, A, B12). It is also the site of metabolism, detoxification and excretion of many substances made in the body or substances that enter it.
The virus is a fragment of nucleic acid that is encapsulated in a protein coating. Viruses are much smaller than bacteria and can only be seen with an electron microscope. The virus spreads using the features of the host cells and disrupts the main activity of the host cells. Viruses affect many animals and plants, but only some of them have the ability to infect humans.
Hepatitis is a disease of inflammation and enlargement of the liver. One of the main causes of acute hepatitis is a person’s infection with related viruses, including hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C.
What are the ways to diagnose the disease?
M-type antibody testing against hepatitis A virus usually occurs 2 to 3 weeks after the first virus infection and persists in the body for 2 to 6 months.
Antibody against the central part of the hepatitis B virus, which is of type M antibody and appears in the blood. It is the first antibody produced in response to hepatitis B virus and, when detected, indicates acute or recent infection with the virus.
Hepatitis B Surface Antigen, a protein present at the level of hepatitis B virus, has been identified as the first factor to detect the virus as well as to detect chronic infection.
Hepatitis C antibody, which is made against hepatitis C virus, and cannot distinguish between active virus or previous infections. If hepatitis C virus antibody is positive, it should be confirmed by a confirmatory test for infection with the virus.
Tests that are helpful in diagnosing hepatitis?
Other tests that may be considered part of the hepatitis test will depend on the facilities and conditions of a laboratory and include:
Antibodies against hepatitis B surface antigen, whose presence may be helpful in identifying an improved infection or in the person receiving the hepatitis B vaccine.
Other tests, such as measuring bilirubin, ALT, and AST, may also be valuable to help evaluate liver function in patients with hepatitis. However, because accurate and rapid identification of infectious agents such as hepatitis is an important demand of the medical community, molecular methods have often replaced the above methods.
Among molecular methods, PCR and its derivatives, including Real-Time PCR, have found increasing popularity in the identification of infectious agents, which, based on the genome identification and amplification of microorganisms, has a high sensitivity in detection so that a number of Very few detect pathogens that cannot be identified by other methods.
What are the methods of transmission of the disease?
Type A: Fecal-Oral (Gastrointestinal)
Type B and C: Blood transfusion and blood transfusion, mother-to-child transmission, tattoos, ear piercings, toothbrushes, contaminated laboratory equipment, dialysis department and dental offices, etc.
Serum, saliva, semen, and genital secretions are capable of transmitting the virus.
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