title: Modern concepts on the role of inflammation in pulmonary fibrosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a uniformly lethal disease with limited biomarkers and no proven therapeutic intervention short of lung transplantation. Pulmonary fibrosis at one time was thought to be a result of inflammation in the lung. Although some forms of pulmonary fibrosis may result from inflammation, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is currently thought to result from cell death primarily and inflammation secondarily.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the role of inflammation in pulmonary fibrosis in light of our laboratory's published and unpublished research and published literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  Review based on our laboratory's published and unpublished experimental data with relevant background and clinical context provided.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although cell death is central to pulmonary fibrosis, the proper cytokine environment leading to macrophage polarization is also critical. Evaluation of this environment is promising both for the development of disease biomarkers and for targets for therapeutic intervention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8070, USA. Robert.homer@yale.edu
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Homer
authors.forename: Jack A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Elias
authors.forename: Chun Gun
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Erica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Herzog
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D016923:Cell Death; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D008262:Macrophage Activation; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D018836:Inflammation Mediators