ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the correlation between serum hepatitis B virus large surface protein (HBV-LP) and hepatitis B virus DNA (HBV-DNA) load in hepatitis B patients treated with lamivudine, and the application of serum HBV-LP measurement in evaluation of lamivudine therapeutic effect and end point judgement.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>HBV DNA was detected by fluorescent quantitative PCR (FQ-PCR), serum HBV-LP was detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Both HBV-DNA and HBV-LP decreased in patients responding to lamivudine therapy, and HBV-LP turned negative 3 months later than HBV-DNA. In patients resistant to lamivudine therapy, neither HBV-DNA nor HBV-LP turned negative. In patients whose symptoms relapsed, HBV-LP didn't turn negative, while HBV-DNA was undetectable only transitorily.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Measuring serum HBV-LP dynamically can be useful in evaluation of lamivudine therapeutic effect.</p>