Abstract: Objective To investigate the relationship between serum HBV DNA loads and hepatic pathological changes in patients with mild chronic hepatitis B. Methods Three hundred and ten patients with CHB were divided into HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative group. Serum HBV DNA loads were determined by fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and pathological changes in liver biopsies were examined by HE staining. The relationship between serum HBV DNA load and hepatic histological grades and fibrosis stages was analyzed. Results Inflammatory grade of G₀ and fibrosis stage of S₀ accounted for 42.0% and 58.0% in HBeAg-positive patients,respectively,However,G₀,G₁ and G₂ and S₀ accounted for 29.1%,30.2%,34.9%,and 51.2% in HBeAg-negative patients,respectively;There was no significant correlation between serum HBV DNA load and inflammatory grade（r=-0.098,P>0.05）,while a negative correlation was found between serum HBV DNA load and the fibrosis stage（r=-0.309,P<0.01）in HBeAg-positive group;There was a positive correlation between serum HBV DNA load and inflammatory grade（r=0.306,P<0.01）,while no obvious correlation was found between serum HBV DNA load and the fibrosis stage（r=0.112,P>0.05）in HBeAg-negative group. Conclusions Relationship between HBV DNA loads and hepatic pathological changes differs as serum HBeAg status different in patients with hepatitis B virus infection.

Key words: Chronic hepatitis B, HBV DNA loads, Liver pathology