Hyper-methylation of the SOCS1 promoter has been associated with reduced SOCS1 levels in hematopoetic malignances, gastric cancer [36], and hepatocellular carcinoma [13], and therefore the possibility that reduced SOCS1 levels in IPF lungs was due to increased methylation of the SOCS1 promoter was investigated. This evidence concerns the gene SOCS1 and hepatocellular carcinoma.