In conjunction with the concomitant reduced induction of IfnB and ISGs upon viral infection this suggests that high leptin levels in obesity may promote increased expression of SOCS-3, a known negative regulator of JAK-STAT-mediated type I IFN signalling, to attenuate the early antiviral immune response during influenza infection. The gene discussed is IFNB1; the disease is obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency.