The value of KL-6 in the diagnosis and assessment of interstitial lung disease

OBJECTIVETo investigate the value of Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6) in the diagnosis and activity assessment of interstitial lung disease (ILD). METHODSThe data of 69 ILD patients admitted to our hospital from January 2018 to January 2020 were analyzed retrospectively, and they were included in the ILD group. In addition, 69 patients with connective tissue disease (CTD) admitted to our hospital during the same period were selected and included in the non-ILD (NILD) group. The lung function, pulmonary imaging scores, and KL-6 expression levels were compared between the two groups. The patients in the ILD group were divided into two subgroups: the inactive group and the active group. The pulmonary function, pulmonary imaging scores, and the KL-6 expression levels of the patients in the two subgroups were compared. The value of KL-6 in the diagnosis and the ILD activity evaluation were analyzed. RESULTSThe FEV1, FVC, and DLCO levels in the LID group were lower than they were in the NLID group (P