HBsAg
Medical abbreviation · Infectious Disease
| Stands for | Hepatitis B surface antigen |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
HBsAg stands for Hepatitis B surface antigen, an infectious disease abbreviation.
Protein on the surface of hepatitis B virus whose presence in blood indicates current infection, either acute or chronic. Positivity lasting more than six months defines chronic hepatitis B, and loss of HBsAg is the closest thing to a cure.
Example: Prenatal labs: HBsAg positive; newborn to receive HBIG and vaccine at delivery.
Usage notes
Baruch Blumberg discovered it in 1965 as the "Australia antigen" in an Aboriginal blood sample, work that earned a Nobel Prize in 1976. A standard hepatitis B panel pairs HBsAg with anti-HBs (antibody showing immunity) and anti-HBc (marker of past or present infection). The vaccine is made from recombinant HBsAg.
Related abbreviations
More infectious disease abbreviations
- GPC – Gram-positive cocci
- H1N1 – Influenza A virus subtype H1N1
- H5N1 – Influenza A virus subtype H5N1
- HAART – Highly active antiretroviral therapy
- HAP – Hospital-acquired pneumonia
- HAV – Hepatitis A virus
- HBV – Hepatitis B virus
- HCV – Hepatitis C virus
- HIV – Human immunodeficiency virus
- hMPV – Human metapneumovirus
- HPV – Human papillomavirus
- HSV – Herpes simplex virus
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This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.