Rizk and Derbala (2013) studied the association between ICAM 1 and IL28 polymorphisms and the viral clearance and the progression of hepatic fibrosis in HCV genotype 4 patients in Qatar. Thirty patients were included in the study. They were treated with pegylated interferon and ribavirin for 48 days. The patients were grouped to control group (responder) and case group (non-responder). Using the 5' nuclease assay with Fast Real-Time PCR System, three SNP's were genotyped; the rs5496 [A/G] and rs281437 [C/T] polymorphisms of the ICAM-1 gene and the rs12979860 [C/T] polymorphism of the IL-28B. No association was found between the rs5496 and rs281437 polymorphisms and the treatment response. However, patients who carried the T allele of the rs281437 polymorphism had approximately 13 times higher risk of severe fibrosis compared to patients with the C allele, while no association was found between the degree of fibrosis and the rs5496 polymorphism.