In this view, it could be speculated that, in patients with genotype 1-chronic hepatitis C without metabolic risk factors and in those whom we assume there is an HCV-related insulin resistance, HOMA-IR may be considered a surrogate marker of genotype 1b-induced upregulation of the SOCS3 gene in nonresponders to antiviral treatment. The gene discussed is SOCS3; the disease is chronic hepatitis C virus infection.