Certified Clinical Transplant Nurse (CCTN) Practice Exam

Reactive serology results for Anti-HBc (Hepatitis B core antibody) indicate a previous exposure to the Hepatitis B virus. This antibody develops in response to an infection, suggesting that the individual has been infected at some point. However, it does not distinguish between acute and chronic infections or provide information about the current viral status.

While a reactive result shows that the person has been exposed to the virus, it does not confirm active infection or immunity. Active infection would be indicated by the presence of Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) along with positive Anti-HBc, whereas immunity typically is reflected by the presence of Hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) without any detectable Anti-HBc. Therefore, reactive Anti-HBc signifies exposure to the virus but not necessarily active or ongoing infection, making it the correct interpretation of the result.