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Hepatitis B Core Antibody

Anti-HBc: hepatitis B antibodies after a possible sexual exposure

According to the RIVM, the hepatitis B virus is transmitted, among other routes, through blood, semen and vaginal fluid, and after an infection the body starts making antibodies against the core antigen inside the virus, called anti-HBc.

According to the RIVM, these antibodies point to an old or recent infection, and they are not present after a vaccination. According to Thuisarts, most people with hepatitis B have no symptoms, so only a blood test shows whether someone has had the infection.

At Star-SHL, the reference for anti-HBc is 'negative'.

Doctor's Assessment Included

Anti-HBc are antibodies to the core antigen (HBcAg) of the hepatitis B virus. According to the RIVM, they point to an old or recent infection and are not present after vaccination.

Star-SHL and Diagnostiek voor U use 'negative' as the reference for anti-HBc.
According to the RIVM, a high IgM anti-HBc characterises a recent acute infection or a flare-up in a chronic infection.
According to the RIVM, in a newborn the mother's antibodies, including anti-HBc, can stay positive for up to 24 months.

Reference Ranges

Expected result Negative

Anti-HBc shows whether you have ever had hepatitis B. Vaccination does not make this result positive — after vaccination anti-HBc is negative and anti-HBs is positive. A positive result does not mean you currently have an infection: it usually reflects an infection that cleared on its own, and in a low-prevalence country such as the Netherlands a positive result is also regularly a false positive. Discuss a positive result with your GP.

Reference ranges may vary between laboratories. When you order a test, a BIG-registered doctor assesses your personal results in context. For treatment decisions, discuss your results with your GP.

Hepatitis B Core Antibody: what this test measures

A test for anti-HBc detects the antibodies the body makes after an infection against the hepatitis B core antigen, and so can show whether there has ever been a hepatitis B infection. According to the RIVM, someone with hepatitis B is generally considered infectious for as long as HBsAg is detectable in the blood.

Hepatitis B Core Antibody: why this value matters

According to the RIVM, hepatitis B, which anti-HBc points to, can be sexually transmitted through contact between infected body fluids and the mucous membranes of the genitals, anus and mouth of someone who is not immune, with the greatest risk in receptive anal sex.

Hepatitis B Core Antibody: how the blood test works

Referral: No GP referral needed. After the order we arrange the referral through ZorgDomein, within one business day; orders after 17:00 or at the weekend start on the next business day. ZorgDomein emails a barcode, and that barcode is what the draw site needs.
The draw: A blood draw from a vein in the arm, at a partner laboratory's draw site. No home kit, no finger prick.
Which test: Hepatitis · €196,-
Where: 650+ draw sites run by independent laboratories across the Netherlands. Draw sites

Hepatitis B Core Antibody: when is testing worthwhile?

According to the RIVM, an anti-HBc test is a good screening marker for an infection someone has ever had; according to the RIVM, the incubation period of hepatitis B is 4 weeks to 6 months, usually 2 to 3 months.

Hepatitis B Core Antibody: symptoms of a high or low value

Low Levels

An anti-HBc that is negative falls within the reference of Star-SHL, which uses 'negative' for these antibodies.

High Levels

According to the RIVM, a positive anti-HBc can point to an old or recent infection, and when anti-HBc is the only positive marker it can, according to the RIVM, also be a false-positive result.

Hepatitis B Core Antibody: causes of a low or high value

What raises the value

An old or recent hepatitis B infection

Anti-HBc points to an old or recent infection and is not present after vaccination.
An infection long ago in which the other antibodies have faded

An isolated anti-HBc can be an infection long ago, often in childhood, in which anti-HBs and anti-HBe have faded.
A false-positive result

An isolated anti-HBc can be false-positive; the chance of that depends on the group tested.
The mother's antibodies in a newborn

The mother's antibodies, including anti-HBc, can cross the placenta and stay positive in the newborn for up to 24 months.

Hepatitis B Core Antibody: lifestyle and this value

Discuss a positive anti-HBc with your GP. According to the RIVM, condom use is especially important in anal and genital sex to prevent transmission of hepatitis B.

Hepatitis B Core Antibody: frequently asked questions

Do condoms protect against hepatitis B?

According to the RIVM, condoms give more than 90% protection against the hepatitis B virus, and an anti-HBc test shows afterwards whether there has ever been an infection.

Hepatitis B Core Antibody: sources

RIVM LCI, Overzicht HBV-markers, core-only en HBsAg-negatieve HBV-infecties, lci.rivm.nl, geraadpleegd 2026-10-18 (retrieved 2026) lci.rivm.nl
RIVM LCI, richtlijn Hepatitis B, lci.rivm.nl, geraadpleegd 2026-10-18 (retrieved 2026) lci.rivm.nl