Peginterferon alpha and ribavirin will be administered at the discretion of the treating physician, in accordance per label according to local guidelines for all participating countries.

Peginterferon alpha given in combination with ribavirin according to local labeling guidelines

An AE was any untoward medical occurrence in a participant administered a medicinal product which did not necessarily have a causal relationship to the treatment. All AEs reported in the study were judged by the investigator to be clinically significant. An SAE was any adverse drug experience that resulted in death, was life-threatening, caused or prolonged hospitalization, caused persistent or significant disability or incapacity, caused a congenital anomaly or birth defect, or may have required medical or surgical intervention to prevent one of these outcomes.

Thrombocytopenia is a low blood platelet count

All treatment discontinuations due to an AE were reported. See Outcome Measure 1 for definition of AEs.

All treatment discontinuations due to particular AEs were reported. These discontinuations included treatment stopped (TS) and dose reduced followed by treatment stopped (DR/TS).

The particular AE evaluated were anemia (low red blood cells), leucopenia (low white blood cells), neutropenia (low blood neutrophils), thrombocytopenia (low blood platelets), esophageal varices (dilated veins in lower esophagus), splenomegaly (enlarged spleen), portal hypertensive gastropathy (changes in stomach mucosa), and hepatomegaly (enlarged liver)

All dose modifications due to an AE were reported. See Outcome Measure 1 for definition of AEs.

Participant's blood was tested for HCV-RNA by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The limit of detection for the assay was 50 IU/mL.

Peginterferon alpha and ribavirin was administered at the discretion of the treating physician, in accordance per label according to local guidelines for all participating countries.

An AE was any untoward medical occurrence in a participant administered a medicinal product which did not necessarily have a causal relationship to the treatment. All AEs reported in the study were judged by the investigator to be clinically significant. An SAE was any adverse drug experience that resulted in death, was life-threatening, caused or prolonged hospitalization, caused persistent or significant disability or incapacity, caused a congenital anomaly or birth defect, or may have required medical or surgical intervention to prevent one of these outcomes.

Peginterferon alpha and ribavirin was administered at the discretion of the treating physician, in accordance per label according to local guidelines for all participating countries.