Lamivudine, an effective oral antiviral agent, inhibits the replication of hepatitis B virus by blocking reverse transcriptase enzyme. Administering lamivudine is an effective and convenient method of early treatment.

Interleukin 10 (IL-10) is a cytokine which has anti-inflammatory characteristics. In this study, we evaluated whether IL-10 levels increase when hepatitis B virus DNA levels increase. High levels of IL-10 in chronic hepatitis B patients indicate that it may be the cause of ineffective immune response. Decreasing IL-10 levels by using various methods may have important contributions in progression and treatment of the disease.