Treatment of AE-IPF or septic shock with PMX-DHP has also been reported to decrease the concentrations of serum matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 [26], vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) [27], and angiopoietin-2 [28,29], which can facilitate vascular permeability. Here, VEGFA is linked to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.