BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) recurrence following liver transplantation has been difficultly treated, and antiviral therapy following HBV recurrence has been less reported yet.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the antiviral therapy using Adefovir + Lamivudine + anti-hepatis B immunoglobulin on liver functional improvement following liver transplantation.METHODS: A total of 208 cases with hepatitis B-related end-stage liver disease following liver transplantation were selected from Liver Transplantation Center of Fuzhou General Hospital of Nanjing Military Area Command of Chinese PLA from January 2005 to October 2008. All patients were treated with Lamivudine + anti-hepatis B immunoglobulin so as to prevent from HBV recurrence. At 6-43 months after following up, HBV recurrence was found in 19 cases, including 13 with positive HBeAg and 8 with YMDD mutation. The 19 patients were treated with Adefovir based on the application of Lamivudine + anti-hepatis B immunoglobulin.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: At 12, 24, and 48 weeks after treatment, DNA and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase of 19 cases were significantly decreased (P < 0.01). After 48-week treatment, recovery rate of glutamic-pyruvic transaminase, negativity rate of HBeAg, and negativity rate of HBV DNA were 84.1 %, 76.92%, and 78.9%, respectively. The results demonstrated that the application of Adefovir + Lamivudine + anti-hepatis B immunoglobulin effectively inhibited viral replication and prevented HBV recurrence following liver transplantation.