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Updated: Oct 12, 2025
Author Spotlight: Advancements and Challenges in Hepatitis B Virus Detection
Published on: December 15, 2023
Diagnostic Accuracy and Validity of Serological and Molecular Tests for Hepatitis B and C
Moein Zangiabadian1, Amir Zamani1, Mohammad Javad Nasiri2
1Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Insights
This review evaluates diagnostic tests for Hepatitis B and C viruses. Molecular, serological, and biosensor assays offer different advantages for early detection, guiding clinical choices based on specific patient needs.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Clinical Diagnostics
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Hepatitis B and C viruses are significant global health concerns.
- Early diagnosis and effective treatment are crucial for managing these infections.
- Reliable diagnostic methods are essential in clinical settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the validity and reliability of diagnostic tests for Hepatitis B and C viruses.
- To compare the performance of different diagnostic approaches.
- To inform clinical decision-making for hepatitis diagnosis.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature review was conducted.
- Major online databases (PubMed, EMBASE) were searched.
- 42 relevant articles published between January 2000 and January 2020 were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is the gold standard for HBsAg detection via immunoassay.
- Molecular assays offer high sensitivity for detecting low viral loads in chronic Hepatitis B.
- Biosensors demonstrate superior selectivity, sensitivity, and rapid response times.
Conclusions:
- Molecular, serological, and biotechnological assays each have unique strengths and weaknesses.
- The choice of diagnostic method should consider clinical context, time, cost, and available equipment.
- Tailoring test selection to specific patient conditions is recommended for optimal diagnosis.
Introduction:
Hepatitis B and C viruses are one of the leading causes of health problems in the world and early diagnosis and treatment of them are very important. Thereby, this study aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of usable diagnostic tests for the detection of hepatitis B and C viruses in the clinical setting and to compare them with each other.
Materials And Methods:
In this review article, we have searched major online databases, including PubMed and EMBASE. 42 retrieved articles were published between January 2000 and January 2020, which are summarized in this review.
Results:
Immunoassay approaches are general techniques for the identification of pathogenic agents, among which ELISA is the gold standard for the detection of HBsAg. While serological techniques are not conclusive, molecular assays are really important because of the high sensitivity to detect chronic hepatitis B without HBeAg, in which viral loads are very low. Biosensors have more elevated selectivity and sensitivity and faster responses compared to other methods.
Conclusion:
This study suggests that all of the molecular, serological, and biotechnological assays have advantages and disadvantages for diagnosing hepatitis B and C viruses which are dependent on the condition, so we should choose one of them in regards to the time, cost, and laboratory equipment along with the clinical symptoms.
