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,  HIV-1 Infection Hepatitis A5327 (Cohort 1 and Cohort 2) Step 1 for both cohorts (Cohort 1 and Cohort 2) HIV-1 infection, documented by any licensed rapid HIV test or HIV enzyme or chemiluminescence immunoassay (E/CIA) test kit at any time prior to study entry and confirmed by a licensed Western blot or a second antibody test by a method other than the initial rapid HIV and/or E/CIA, or by HIV-1 p24 antigen, or plasma HIV-1 RNA viral load. [NOTE: The term "licensed" refers to a FDA-approved kit, which is required for all IND studies.] WHO (World Health Organization) and CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines mandate that confirmation of the initial test result must use a test that is different from the one used for the initial assessment. A reactive initial rapid test should be confirmed by either another type of rapid assay or an E/CIA that is based on a different antigen preparation and/or different test principle (e.g., indirect versus competitive), or a Western blot or a plasma HIV-1 RNA viral load A documented confirmation of acute HCV infection within 6 months prior to A5327 entry or HCV reinfection as described below: 1. Acute HCV infection was defined as meeting one of the following and of other causes of acute hepatitis New (<24 weeks prior to initial A5327 entry) ALT elevation to ≥5X upper limit of normal (ULN) OR >250 U/L in patients with documented normal ALT in the preceding 12 months or ≥10X ULN OR >500 U/L in patients with abnormal or no measured ALT baseline in the preceding 12 months with detectable HCV RNA excluding those with any prior positive anti-HCV. OR Detectable HCV RNA with prior negative anti-HCV Ab or undetectable HCV RNA within the preceding 6 months. 2. Acute HCV reinfection was defined by documentation of clearance of prior infection (as evidenced by positive anti-HCV Ab) either spontaneously or after treatment with two negative HCV RNA a minimum of 6 months apart AND meeting one of the following in addition to of other causes of acute hepatitis New (<24 weeks prior to initial A5327 entry) ALT elevation to ≥5X ULN OR >250 U/L in patients with documented normal ALT in the preceding 12 months or ≥10X ULN OR >500 U/L in patients with abnormal or no measured ALT baseline in the preceding 12 months with detectable HCV RNA. OR Positive HCV RNA with prior negative HCV RNA within the preceding 6 months HCV RNA confirmed to be detectable >12 weeks after first laboratory evidence of acute HCV and still within the <24 week from first laboratory evidence of acute HCV infection window. First laboratory evidence of infection was defined as date of first elevated liver enzymes or date of first serologic evidence of HCV seroconversion and/or viremia (whichever occurs first). [NOTE: If the screening visit occurred less than 12 weeks from the first laboratory evidence of infection, then the participant was required a pre-entry study visit to confirm detectable HCV RNA at least 12 weeks from the first laboratory evidence of infection had passed. It was optimal for this pre-entry visit to occur as close as possible to 12 weeks from first laboratory evidence to ensure timely treatment. Potential participants who entered screening but who had an undetectable HCV RNA (<LLOQ TND) at the pre-entry visit (when required) exhibited evidence of possible spontaneous clearance and will not meet the entry criteria.] Body mass index (BMI) ≥ 18 kg/m^2 Screening electrocardiogram (ECG) without clinically significant abnormalities as determined by the investigator  for both cohorts (Cohort 1 and Cohort 2) Received investigational drug or device within 60 days prior to study entry Chronic liver disease of a non-HCV etiology (eg, hemochromatosis, Wilson's disease, α1 antitrypsin deficiency, primary sclerosing cholangitis) Presence of active or acute AIDS-defining opportunistic infections within 30 days prior to study entry. [NOTE: A list of AIDS-defining opportunistic infections as defined by the CDC, can be found in Appendix B of the following document: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00018871.htm] Active, serious infection (other than HIV-1 or HCV) requiring parenteral antibiotics, antivirals, or antifungals within 30 days prior to study entry Infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) defined as HBsAg positive Evidence of acute hepatitis A infection defined as HAV IGM positive Chronic use of systemically administered immunosuppressive agents (eg, prednisone equivalent > 10 mg/day) History of solid organ transplantation Current or prior history of clinical hepatic decompensation (eg, ascites, encephalopathy or variceal hemorrhage)