Objective To analyze the expression of serum circular RNA mitochondrial tRNA translation optimization 1 (circMTO1) in patients with hepatitis B associated cirrhosis and its relation with the degree of liver fibrosis and prognosis. Methods A total of 115 patients with hepatitis B associated cirrhosis (the hepatitis B cirrhosis group) and 120 patients with chronic hepatitis B (the chronic hepatitis B group) were enrolled as the research subjects. Patients in the hepatitis B cirrhosis group were assigned to favorable prognosis group (n=84) or adverse prognosis group (n=31) according to short⁃term prognosis after treatment. Serum circMTO1 expression was compared between the hepatitis B cirrhosis group and the chronic hepatitis B group, and between the favorable prognosis group and the adverse prognosis group. The correlation of serum circMTO1 expression with classification of liver fibrosis was analyzed in the hepatitis B cirrhosis group. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to analyze the predictive value of serum circMTO1 expression on adverse prognosis in patients of the hepatitis B cirrhosis group. Results Patients in the hepatitis B cirrhosis group obtained a lower serum circMTO1 expression as compared with the chronic hepatitis B group, and serum circMTO1 expression was lower in the adverse prognosis group than in the favorable prognosis group (P<0.05). Serum circMTO1 expression negatively correlated with classification of liver fibrosis in patients of the hepatitis B cirrhosis group (P<0.05). Area under the curve of serum circMTO1 expression for predicting adverse prognosis in patients of the hepatitis B cirrhosis group was 0.747, the sensitivity was 77.40%, the specificity was 77.40%, and the optimal cut-off value was 0.332. Conclusion Compared with chronic hepatitis B patients without suffering from cirrhosis, patients with hepatitis B associated cirrhosis obtain a decreased serum circMTO1 expression, and it is related to the degree of liver fibrosis. Prognosis of patients with hepatitis B associated cirrhosis can be evaluated by circMTO1, which can be regarded as a molecular marker.