Diverse pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IFN-α, TNF-α, IL-1β, or IFN-γ induce sphingolipid metabolizing enzymes (Jenkins et al., 2010; Su et al., 2011) and especially IFN-α has already been shown to effect a decrease, for example, in HDL cholesterol in hepatitis C patients treated with IFN-α (Shinohara et al., 1997). Here, IFNA1 is linked to hepatitis C virus infection.