Objective To detect and explore the clinical significance of serum level of autoantibodies to tyrosinase-related protein 1 (a-TRP-1) in patients with HBV and vitiligo or with HBV only. Methods The serum a-TRP-1 were detected and analyzed by ELISA and immunofluorecence methods in 126 patients with vitiligo including 8 patients with HBV, 34 patients with a-TPO, a-TG positive and 84 other vitiligo patients; 84 common patients with HBV only including 24 patients with HbsAg, HbeAg and HbcAb positive, 60 patients with HbsAg, HbeAb and HbcAb positive; 96 people with antibodies to HBV positive including 48 subjects with HbsAb, HbeAb and HbcAb positive, 48 subjects with HbsAb positive and 96 healthy controls. Results The total positive rate of a-TRP-1 in all vitiligo patients was 6.3% only, and all the positive patients were infected with HBV. The serum levels of a-TRP-1 in vitiligo patients with HBV were significantly higher than those other vitiligo patients and healthy controls (P＜0.01). In common patients with HBV, the serum levels of a-TRP-1 were very similar to the vitiligo patients with HBV, but the positive rates of a-TRP-1 were much higher than those patients with vitiligo (P<0.01). The specificial autoantigens of a-TRP-1 in patients with HBV was located in the plasm and membrane of human melanocytes by immunofluoresence, while only located in membrane in most vitiligo patients. Conclusion The high level of a-TRP-1 has close relationship with the infection of HBV. It seems likely that TRP-1 may not be a representative targets of autoimmune response in vitiligo. The high positive rates of a-TRP-1 can be existed in the common patients with HBV, it may be a waring sign or play an important role in the pathogenic mechanisms of vitiligo in these patients.