Treatment of Hepatitis C in Hemophilic Patients With HIV

Inclusion Criteria * Hemophilia A or B * Exposure to blood or blood products prior to 1987 * Participating in "The Second Multicenter Hemophilia Cohort Study (MHCS-II)" * HCV reactive by second/third generation ELISA assay and/or RIBA * HCV RNA positive (PCR or bDNA methods) * Chronic hepatitis confirmed by liver biopsy within 6 months prior to study entry (Note: cirrhosis is not an exclusion factor) * HIV infection for coinfected group; HIV viral load of 10,000 copies/ml or less * If on antiretroviral drugs, stable regimen for at least 8 weeks prior to study entry * Acceptable methods of contraception Exclusion Criteria * Hemoglobin less than 10 g/dl * For HIV coinfected group, CD4 count less than 200 cells/mm3 at time of screening visit * Previous interferon or ribavirin therapy * Corticosteroids or immunomodulatory drugs within 3 months prior to study entry * Hepatitis B (HBsAg reactive) * Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency * Wilson's disease * Hemochromatosis * Autoimmune disorder * Decompensated liver disease evidenced by encephalopathy, ascites, or variceal bleed * Prothrombin Time greater than 3 seconds above normal (International Normalized Ratio \[INR\] greater than 1.3) * Platelet count less than 90,000/microL * Active thyroid disease (thyroid replacement with normal TSH permitted) * Chronic renal insufficiency, defined as creatinine greater than 1.5 mg/dl * Life-threatening disease processes that could preclude completion of trial * Alcohol abuse that the local inve…