This study evaluated the clinical response of the efficacy and safety of the combination therapy of peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin, compared with an antiviral treatment-free group in CHC patients with compensated LC.

Additionally, this study evaluated the dosage reactivity and the pharmacokinetic characteristics of the combination therapy of peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin in CHC patients with compensated LC.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients aged 20 to 75 years-old with quantifiable serum HCV-RNA (≥ 500 IU/mL), elevated serum alanine aminotransferase activity (≥ 45 IU per liter) within sixty days of screening, and proven CHC with compensated LC (Child-Pugh A) on liver biopsy.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with neutropenia (fewer than 1,500 neutrophils per cubic millimeter)
• Thrombocytopenia (fewer than 75,000 platelets per cubic millimeter)
• Anemia (less than 12 g hemoglobin per deciliter )
• Hepatitis B co-infection; decompensated liver disease.
• Organ transplant
• Creatinine clearance less than 50 milliliters per minute
• Poorly controlled psychiatric disease
• Poorly controlled diabetes
• Malignant neoplastic disease
• Severe cardiac or chronic pulmonary disease
• Immunologically mediated disease
• Retinopathy