Public Health Division

Lab Test Details

Hepatitis B Surface Antibody
Updated	12/30/2020 (reviewed 1/30/2025)
Search Terms	Anti-HBs; HBs Ab; Hepatitis B Post-vaccine screen
How to Order	On the Virology/Immunology Test Request Form (OHA0042), in the "Hepatitis" section, check the box for "Hepatitis B Surface Antibody."
Availability	All clients
Performed	Daily on regular business days
Time to Reporting	Within 3 working days after receipt of specimen
CPT Code	86706

Specimen Collection Details
Collection	One 7 ml red top tube or serum separator tube (SST). If SST tubes are used, follow instructions provided by the manufacturer.
Optimal Volume	Blood: 5 ml; Serum 1.0 ml
Minimum Volume	Blood: 3 ml; Serum 0.5 ml
Handling	After blood clots, store specimens at refrigerated temperatures (2-8°C) pending transport. If possible, remove the serum from the clot as soon as possible. Specimen must be tested within 7 days of collection. DO NOT FREEZE WHOLE BLOOD. If specimen cannot be tested within 7 days, remove serum from the clot and freeze serum at -20C. Specimen must be tested within 30 days.
Transport	Package specimens with fully frozen ice packs to maintain refrigerated temperatures during transport. If serum is frozen, package specimens with dry ice to maintain frozen temperatures during transport. Specimen must be tested within 30 days.
Rejection Criteria	Specimens with anticoagulant, visible contamination, cadaver specimens, heat inactivated, and grossly hemolyzed specimens. Refrigerated specimens not tested within 7 calendar days of specimen collection. Frozen specimens not tested within 30 calendar days of specimen collection. Specimens are subject to the requirements of the OSPHL Specimen Submission Policy (pdf).
Comments	Original material submitted for testing is retained for 7 calendar days after receipt at the laboratory. This test is intended for the detection of antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen in human adult, pediatric, and neonatal serum. The detection of anti-HBs is indicative of laboratory diagnosis for seroconversion from hepatitis B virus infection. The test is also used to assess past exposure to hepatitis B virus in potential vaccine recipients and to determine the presence of immune response to the vaccine. A level of equal to or greater than 12 mIU/ml is generally considered as a protective level for immunity to hepatitis B virus. The presence of anti-HBs after acute HBV infection and loss of hepatitis B virus surface antigen can be a useful indicator of disease resolution. This assay is not intended for use in screening blood, plasma, or tissue donors. Assay performance characteristics have not been established for immunocompromised or immunosuppressed patients.

Method Details
Methodology	Chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA) on the Abbott Diagnostics Alinity i platform
Performance Specifications	Detailed information about assay performance can be obtained by contacting the manufacturer of the testing platform, Abbott Diagnostics, or on the US Food and Drug Administration website.

Change Log
1/30/2025	Reviewed, no revisions
5/5/2023	Reviewed, no revisions