Anti-HAV IgM

Hepatitis A (HAV) is an acute viral infection which affects the liver and is transmitted by ingestion (swallowing) through contaminated water or food.

Among all viral hepatitis HAV is the most favorable, because the disease does not become chronic. HAV occurs much more often than other hepatitis (in 70-80% of cases), and mainly affects children - up to 80% of all patients.

Early symptoms of hepatitis A can be mistaken for symptoms of other disease with intoxication and fever syndromes. Children and the elderly may not have symptoms at all.

Hepatitis A virus has a direct damaging effect on liver cells called hepatocytes. Inflammatory and necrotic changes occur in the liver, accompanied by intoxication syndrome (general malaise, nausea, fever, headache), enlargement of the spleen and liver (hepatosplenomegaly), laboratory signs of liver dysfunction. Jaundice usually appears when the disease declines.

After entering the body through the mouth, the hepatitis A virus enters the bloodstream through the intestine. The blood transports the virus to the liver, where it multiplies (hepatocytes, Kupffer cells). The newly formed virions are excreted with bile into the duodenum and excreted with the feces, the person becomes a source of infection. Excretion of viral particles in significant quantities occurs about 11 days before the emergence of an immune response in the form of IgM production the hepatitis A virus.

The virus has one main antigen in its structure called HAV (the virus “body” particle, which the human immune system recognizes and attacks). The antibodies which are produced against HAV are called Anti-HAV IgM. IgM is a class M immunoglobulin, which is the sign that the disease is acute. A year after recovery, the antibodies should disappear. In a healthy body, Anti-HAV is normally absent.