Abstract Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a specific form of chronic, progressive fibrosing interstitial pneumonia of unknown cause, with a poor prognosis. The underlying molecular pathogenic mechanisms are not fully understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between concentrations of various proteins in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid (BALF) and clinical parameters in consecutive patients with IPF, including those with preserved lung function. Concentrations of various proteins (SDF-1α , IP-10, IL-1β , IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-13, IFN-r, TNF-α, EGF, FGF, PDGF, Galectin-3, MMP-1, MMP-7, MMP-8, and TGF-β ) in the BALF collected from ten patients with IPF were determined. As a result, BALF concentrations of TNF-α, MMP-1, -7, and -8 showed trends toward positive correlations with forced vital capacity (FVC) % predicted (r=0.605, 0.527, 0.406, and 0.624, respectively), although statistical significance was not reached. These results suggested that these molecules are elevated more in the BALF of patients with earlier IPF. These proteins may be involved in the initial phase of pathogenesis and may possibly be new therapeutic targets in early IPF.
Matsuhira et al. (Tue,) studied this question.