When the gene expression of iron regulation-related factors such as hepcidin, ferroportin 1 (FPN1), divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1), transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) and TfR2 and ferritin were compared in HCV-infected and -uninfected cells, the increase in expression of the hepcidin gene due to infection was most pronounced, with expression increasing up to 5-fold or more in infected cells compared to uninfected cells (Fig 1C). Here, SLC40A1 is linked to infection.