anti-HBc positive meaning

• A. latent infection
• B. chronic infection
• C. acute infection
• D. resolved infection

Answer: (B)

Anti-HBc is the antibody to the hepatitis B core antigen and its presence means you’ve been exposed to hepatitis B at some point. It does not by itself tell you whether the infection is acute, chronic, or resolved; you need additional markers to distinguish the phase. In acute HBV infection, you’d expect anti-HBc of the IgM class to be positive along with HBsAg. In a resolved infection, anti-HBc is typically present with anti-HBs and HBsAg negative. The anti-HBc signal, especially the IgG type, is a long-lasting marker that is commonly seen in chronic infection as well as in past infection. Therefore, in the context of the options provided, anti-HBc positivity is most consistent with chronic infection, particularly when accompanied by persistent HBsAg and absence of anti-HBs. If more data were available, such as IgM vs IgG and HBsAg/anti-HBs status, you could pinpoint the exact state, but anti-HBc positivity points toward exposure and is a hallmark associated with chronic HBV when the infection persists.