Objective    To study the factors related to lamivudine efficacy in treating hepatitis B e-antigen (HBeAg)-negative chronic hepatitis B.     Methods    The clinical data of 203 HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B patients who received lamivudine treatment in our hospital were collected from Jan. 2006 to Dec. 2009. The correlation of lamivudine efficacy with factors before therapy

such as gender

age

blood serum alanine transaminase (ALT) level

blood serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA level

and HBV genotype

was analyzed.     Results    Among the 203 patients

180 (88.7%) achieved virological response and exhibited a lower baseline HBV DNA level than those without virological response. During long-term therapy of the 180 cases

81 (45%) experienced virological breakthrough and exhibited a higher baseline HBV DNA level than those with continuous virological response. Cox proportional-hazards regression model analysis results showed that HBV DNA level before therapy and HBV DNA positive in the 6th month of therapy were risk factors associated with virological breakthrough.     Conclusion    During lamivudine treatment of HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B

a lower HBV DNA level before therapy can result in better response. HBV DNA positive in the 6th month of therapy is a high risk factor associated with virological breakthrough.