Interstitial Lung Disease is a Risk Factor for Cardiovascular Disease; Potential Role for Systemic Biomarkers (Krebs Von Den Lungen-6 (KL-6))

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a chronic, progressive, parenchymal disease of the lungs. ILD has been associated with various cardiovascular co-morbidities, such as coronary artery disease (CAD) and heart failure (HF). So far, little is known regarding the cardiovascular co-morbidities in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), the most aggressive form of ILD.

Blood biomarkers have been shown to emerging evidence in patients with IPF in clinical practice. Several blood biomarkers, including lung-epithelium specific proteins, chemokines, growth factors, proteases, and other serological markers, have been studied widely in the fields of diagnosis, disease severity, and prognosis in patients with IPF. Among them, Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6) is used in clinical practice and elevated level of KL-6 is known to predict mortality in patients with IPF.

It is well documented that fibrosis is closely linked to the inflammatory response. Emerging evidence suggests that cardiac fibrosis in general is primarily due to complications associated with acute and prolonged inflammation, suggesting that even low-grade, persistent inflammation is enough to promote cardiac fibrosis. The cellular and molecular events that underpin the inflammatory processes in cardiac disease are complex and poorly understood, with many tissue and disease specific mechanisms.