Patient description: A 53-year-old man presents with chronic HCV infection for the past 2 years. His past medical history is only significant for inguinal hernia surgery when he was 20 years old. He is on IFN (100 mg/week) plus RBV (400 mg/day) combination therapy for the past 9 months. Direct antiviral drugs were added to his treatment 6 months ago. His medical record shows previous positive HCV RNA tests as well as positive enzyme immunoassay for anti-HCV-antibodies. The recent biopsy was negative for hepatocellular carcinoma and was only remarkable for chronic inflammation compatible with a chronic viral hepatitis. There is no evidence of alcoholic liver disease, bleeding from esophageal varices, hemochromatosis, autoimmune hepatitis or metabolic liver disease. He is an alert male with no acute distress. His BP: 130/75, HR: 90/min and BMI: 27. His abdomen is soft with no ascites or tenderness. The lower extremities are normal with no edema.

Clinical trial eligibility criteria: eligible ages (years): 18.0-999.0,  Chronic Hepatitis C Age older than 18 years old 2. Serologic evidence of chronic hepatitis C infection by an anti-HCV antibody test 3. Detectable serum quantitative HCV-RNA 4. HCV genotype 2 (VERSANT HCV Genotype Assay (LIPA)) 5. Patients have never been treated with traditional interferon plus ribavirin or peginterferon plus ribavirin  Co-infection with hepatitis B and/or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) 2. History or other evidence of a medical condition associated with chronic liver disease other than HCV (e.g., hemochromatosis, autoimmune hepatitis, metabolic liver disease, alcoholic liver disease, toxin exposures) 3. Decompensated liver disease (Child-Pugh class B or C) 4. Neoplastic disease within 5 years 5. Evidence of drug abuse (including excessive alcohol consumption) within one year of study entry 6. Women with ongoing pregnancy or breast feeding 7. Hgb < 11 g/dL in women or < 12 g/dL in men at screening 8. Neutrophil count < 1500 cells/mm3 or platelet count < 90,000 cells/mm3 at screening 9. Serum creatinine level > 1.5 times the upper limit of normal at screening 10. Serum alpha-fetoprotein > 100 ng/mL 11. History of severe psychiatric disease, especially depression. Severe psychiatric disease is defined as treatment with an antidepressant medication or a major tranquilizer at therapeutic doses for major depression or psychosis, respectively, for at least 3 months at any previous time or any history of the following: a suicidal attempt, hospitalization for psychiatric disease, or a period of disability due to a psychiatric disease 12. History of immunologically mediated disease, chronic pulmonary disease associated with functional limitation, severe cardiac disease, major organ transplantation or other evidence of severe illness, malignancy, or any other conditions which would make the patient, in the opinion of the investigator, unsuitable for the study 13. History or other evidence of bleeding from esophageal varices or other conditions consistent with decompensated liver disease 14. History of a severe seizure disorder or current anticonvulsant use 15. Evidence of severe retinopathy (e.g. CMV retinitis, macula degeneration) 16. Inability or unwillingness to provide informed consent or abide by the requirements of the study