HEP B E AG 0000555

Hepatitis B e (envelope) antigen or HBeAg detects virion envlope proteins produced and released into the blood. It is often used as a marker of ability to spread the virus to other people (infectivity). It may also be used to monitor the effectiveness of treatment. However, there are some types (strains) of HBV that do not make e-antigen. These are especially common in the Middle East and Asia. In areas where these strains of HBV are common, testing for HBeAg is not very useful to determine whether the virus can be spread to others.