To identify the cellular source of hepatic IL-1β during chronic HCV infection, we conducted confocal microscopy analysis of immunostained liver sections from normal donor liver or patients with chronic hepatitis C. Liver sections were co-stained with anti- IL-1β and anti-CD68, a surface marker present on macrophages such as the liver-resident myeloid Kupffer cells. The gene discussed is CD68; the disease is chronic hepatitis C virus infection.