Inclusion Criteria:Adult males and females, 18 to 50 years of age; with documented chronic hepatitis C according to the following criteria: elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) above the upper limit of normal (40 U/l) on two occasions during the preceding six months; anti-HCV positive anti-body status assessed by second generation enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (Roche Diagnostics, Branchburg, New Jersey, USA); positive polymerase chain reaction for HCV RNA (Cobas Amplicor HCV Monitor v2.0; lower limit of quantitation 50 IU/mL); genotype 4; and criteria for chronic hepatitis C in liver biopsy performed within the preceding year with no signs of cirrhosis or bridging fibrosis on pretreatment liver biopsy.