Clinical Significance

IgM antibodies against HAV are detected soon after onset of symptoms. Persistence of the IgM response is extremely variable, with specific IgM detected for less than one month in some cases to greater than one year in others. In most cases, IgM antibodies against HAV persist for a period of three to six months after which they decline to levels that are below detection. The VITROS Anti-HAV IgM assay is designed to detect anti-HAV IgM as a laboratory diagnosis of acute or recent hepatitis A infection. The detection of anti-HAV IgM can be useful for the differential diagnosis of hepatitis A from other froms of viral hepatitis. Testing with other hepatitis markers is required.

_{Source: Vitros ECiQ, HAV M IFU. Pub. No. GEM1230 Version 9.1}