Genotype 4 hepatitis C virus is the cause of approximately 20% of the 170 million cases of chronic hepatitis C in the world. Although rare in western nations, genotype 4 is the most common variant of the hepatitis C virus in Egypt and is also found throughout Africa and the Middle East. Early reports on the treatment of patients with genotype 4 chronic hepatitis C with interferon-alfa (IFN)-alfa monotherapy indicate poor rates of sustained viral response (SVR). With the introduction of ribavirin combination therapy and with pegylation of the IFN alfa molecule, however, response rates have improved dramatically, and current clinical trial data indicate that SVR rates between 43 and 79% are attainable in genotype 4 patients who are receiving pegylated IFN alfa plus ribavirin for 48 weeks. Clinical advances to optimize treatment for each patient have also been made, and tailored treatment options are now being developed that are comparable to the treatment approaches for genotype 1, 2, and 3 patients. A treatment duration of between 36 and 48 weeks appears to be optimal for most patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 4.The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of pegylated interferon alpha 2a in patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 4 in comparison to a historical cohort of patients treated with pegylated interferon alpha 2b