The relationships among early hepatitis C virus (HCV) kinetics (first-phase viral decline and HCV-RNA level at day 3), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and albinterferon-α-2b (albIFN) levels in patients receiving albIFN every 2 weeks (q2wk) or 4 weeks (q4wk) with and without a sustained virological response (SVR) are depicted: (A) a lower albIFN level at day 3 is associated with a less robust first-phase viral decline and no SVR; (B) an elevated HOMA-IR index is associated with increasing age; (C) an elevated HOMA-IR index is associated with a higher day-3 HCV-RNA level and no SVR.