To assess the possibility of lung elastin degradation in humans with high probability of gastric contents aspiration, we studied BALF samples obtained from patients with an exacerbation of interstitial lung disease and high levels of pepsin (n = 6) Fig. 8 shows a representative Western blot of soluble elastin in BALF samples from these patients and from patients without interstitial lung disease and no evidence of aspiration who required bronchoscopy for the study of a lung nodule) (n = 6) and served as controls for this evaluation. This evidence concerns the gene ELN and interstitial lung disease.