Inclusion Criteria:

- Male and female patients, age >18 y

- Established hepatitis C infection as confirmed by positive serology and positive
hepatitis C RNA in serum

- Convincing evidence of negligible alcohol consumption (<20g of ethanol per day)
obtained from a detailed history, confirmed by at least one close relative

- Absence of any other possible cause for liver dysfunction.

- Undergoing routing liver biopsy (usually pre-treatment)

Exclusion Criteria:

- Findings highly suggestive of liver disease of other etiology (e.g. other viral
hepatitis, auto-immune chronic hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis and genetic liver
diseases such as hemochromatosis, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, Wilsons disease
and biliary obstruction)

- Anticipated need for liver transplantation in one year or complications of liver
disease such as recurrent variceal bleeding, spontaneous porto- systemic
encephalopathy, resistant ascites or bacterial peritonitis

- Concurrent medical illnesses contraindicating a liver biopsy (history of unexplained
bleeding, hemophilia or abnormal coagulation results as per routine laboratory
work-up or other reasons judged by the hepatologist to contraindicate a percutaneous
liver biopsy)

- Medications known to precipitate steatohepatitis (corticosteroids, high dose
estrogens, methotrexate, amiodarone, calcium channel blockers, sulfasalazine or
cloxacillin) in the 6 months prior to entry

- Antioxidant vitamin or n-3 supplementation, ursodeoxycholic acid or any other
experimental drug in the 6 months prior to study entry

- Pregnant or lactating