Circulating cytokines and chemokines play critical roles in hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Here, we explored the effects of proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory effector molecules on HBV progression, e antigen seroconversion, and liver function. Our results showed that circulating interleukin (IL)-17 may be helpful in HBV spontaneous clearance [odds ratio (OR) = 1.468, 95%confidence interval (CI) = 1.080-1.995, = 0.014] and protective against HBV-related hepatoma development (OR = 0.933, 95%CI = 0.910-0.957, < 0.001). IL-1 negatively affected HBV clearance (OR = 0.052, 95%CI = 0.005-0.534, = 0.013). In patients with chronic hepatitis B, interferon--inducible protein-10 (IP-10) levels significantly increased in the group of abnormal liver function ( = 0.006). Furthermore, positive correlations of IP-10 with alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels were observed ( = 0.546 and 0.644, respectively; < 0.001). In conclusion, inflammatory cytokines and chemokines may be a "double-edged sword" for HBV clearance and progression. Further exploration of the roles of IL-17, IL-1, and IP-10 in chronic HBV infection is needed.