The significance of hepatitis B virus large protein in evaluating the effects of antiviral treatment in chronic hepatitis B

Objective: To evaluate the significance of hepatitis B virus large protein(HBV-LP) in antiviral treatment of chronic hepatitis B(CHB). Methods: One hundred and twenty CHB patients were treated with entecavir for 96 weeks. The serum levels of HBV-LP and HBV DNA were detected at 0, 12, 24, 36, 48, 72 and 96 weeks of treatment. Results: The differences of the positive rate of HBV-LP and HBV DNA in CHB patients were not statistically significant(P>0.05). During antivirus therapy, the declining of HBV-LP was similar to HBV DNA(P<0.01). The content of HBV-LP was positive correlation with HBV DNA copies(P<0.01). Conclusions: The detection of HBV-LP can provide an effective index in evaluating antiviral treatment.