A Study of Peginterferon Alfa-2a in Combination With Ribavirin in Chronic Hepatitis C (CHC) Patients With Compensated Liver Cirrhosis (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