Hepatitis viruses constitute a major public health problem because of the morbidity and mortality associated with the acute and chronic consequences of these infections. New immunization strategies have been developed to eliminate the spread of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis A virus (HAV) in the United States. Recommendations have also been developed for the prevention and control of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Because of the high rate of asymptomatic infection with these viruses, information about the prevalence of these diseases is needed to monitor prevention efforts. By testing a nationally representative sample of the U.S. population, NHANES will provide the most reliable estimates of age-specific prevalence needed to evaluate the effectiveness of the strategies to prevent these infections. In addition, NHANES provides the means to better define the epidemiology of other hepatitis viruses. NHANES testing for markers of infection with hepatitis viruses will be used to determine secular trends in infection rates across most age and racial/ethnic groups, and will provide a national picture of the epidemiologic determinants of these infections.
Survey participants aged 2 years or older are eligible to be tested.
Blood specimens are processed, stored, and shipped to the Division of Viral Hepatitis, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Detailed specimen collection and processing instructions are discussed in the NHANES Laboratory/Medical Technologists Procedures Manual (LPM).
The VITROS Anti-HAV Total assay is performed using the VITROS Immunodiagnostic Products Anti-HAV Total Reagent Pack and the VITROS Immunodiagnostic Products Anti-HAV Total Calibrator on the VITROS ECi/ECiQ or VITROS 3600 Immunodiagnostic System.
A competitive immunoassay technique is used which involves pre-incubation of anti-HAV in the sample with HAV antigen in the assay reagent, followed by incubation with a conjugate reagent that contains biotinylated mouse monoclonal anti-HAV antibody and horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-labeled mouse monoclonal anti-HAV antibody. The immune complex is captured by streptavidin on the wells. Unbound materials are removed by washing.
The bound HRP conjugate is measured by a luminescent reaction. A reagent containing luminogenic substrates (a luminol derivative and a peracid salt) and an electron transfer agent, is added to the wells. The HRP in the bound conjugate catalyzes the oxidation of the luminol derivative, producing light. The electron transfer agent (a substituted acetanilide) increases the level of light produced and prolongs its emission. The light signals are read by the VITROS ECi/ECiQ or VITROS 3600 Immunodiagnostic System. The binding of HRP is indicative of the absence of anti-HAV antibody.
The analytical methods are described in the Description of Laboratory Methodology section above.
Detailed instructions on specimen collection and processing can be found on the NHANES website.
There were no changes (from the previous 2 years of NHANES) in the testing methodology.
The NHANES quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) protocols meet the 1988 Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments mandates. Detailed quality control and quality assurance instructions are discussed in the NHANES Laboratory/Medical Technologists Procedures Manual (LPM).
A detailed description of the quality assurance and quality control procedures can be found on the NHANES website.
Refer to the 2011-2012 Laboratory Data Overview for general information on NHANES laboratory data.
The analysis of NHANES 2011-2012 laboratory data must be conducted using the appropriate survey design and demographic variables. The NHANES 2011-2012 Demographics File contains demographic data, health indicators, and other related information collected during household interviews as well as the sample weight variables. The Fasting Questionnaire File includes auxiliary information such as fasting status, the time of venipuncture, and the conditions precluding venipuncture. The demographics and fasting questionnaire files may be linked to the laboratory data file using the unique survey participant identifier (i.e., SEQN).
The age ranges and constraints for hepatitis A testing are as follows: The hepatitis A antibody test is performed on all participants aged 2 years or older.
The assay used in this study cannot differentiate between natural infection and vaccination. Therefore seropositivity for anti-HAV reflects either natural or vaccine induced immunity.
Exam sample weights should be used for analyses. Please refer to the NHANES Analytic Guidelines and the on-line NHANES Tutorial for further details on the use of sample weights and other analytic issues.
| Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Positive | 4315 | 4315 | |
| 2 | Negative | 3286 | 7601 | |
| 3 | Indeterminate | 3 | 7604 | |
| . | Missing | 1133 | 8737 |