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Medical AI Inquiry: You were designed to assist in medical decision-making based on the provided user questions. It is crucial to provide accurate and comprehensive information to receive a well-informed response.
user
The most reliable indicator of recent Hepatitls-B infection in a convalescing patient is -
assistant
The correct answer is  Hepatitis B core antigen Hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) is not found in the blood, but antibody to it (anti-HBc) appears early in the illness and rapidly reaches a high titre, which subsides gradually but then persists. Anti-HBc is initially of IgM type, with IgG antibody appearing later. Anti-HBc (IgM) can sometimes reveal an acute HBV infection when the HBsAg has disappeared and before anti-HBs has developed Ref Davidson edition23rd pg874