Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics,prevention and treatment strategy of de novo hepatitis B virus (HBV)infection after pediatric living liver transplantation.Methods In total,106 pediatric recipients undergoing living liver transplantation in Organ Transplantation Center of Affiliated Beijing Friendship Hospital of Capital Medical University and Organ Transplantation Center of Tianjin First Center Hospital from July 2010 to July 2014 were enrolled in this study.All surgeries were performed by the same surgical team.According to preoperative test outcomes of donor HBV serological markers,all recipients were divided into the positive (n =45)and negative (n =61)antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc)donor liver groups (positive group and negative group),and the prevalence of de novo HBV infection was compared between two groups.The risk factors of de novo HBV infection in the positive group were analyzed to elucidate the clinical characteristics of de novo HBV infection in affected children.Results The incidences of de novo HBV infection in positive and negative group were 18% (8 /45 )and 2% (1 /61 )respectively.The risk factors of de novo HBV infection in recipients with positive anti-HBc were negative anti-HBs before transplantation and absence of antiviral therapy post-transplantation in recipients (both in P <0.05 ).The median interval between time of onset and time of liver transplantation was 12 months (8-48 months).Seven cases were treated with lamivudine and the remaining two cases were left untreated.All nine recipients survived.Conclusions Application of positive anti-HBc donor liver have a risk of HBV infection in recipients after pediatric liver transplantation.Absence of postoperative nucleoside analogue therapy and negative anti-HBs before transplantation acts as risk factors of de novo HBV infection in the recipients with positive anti-HBc donor liver.After liver transplantation,nucleoside analogue therapy is recommended for the pediatric recipients with positive anti-HBc donor liver to prevent the incidence of de novo HBV infection.Besides,hepatitis B vaccine should be administered prior to liver transplantation.