Exposure to 3 ng/ml IL-1β induced a comparable time-dependent release of IL-6 from control and IPF fibroblasts, which was initially detected at 4 h and continued to increase over the 72 h period, with a maximum of 723 ± 134 pg/ml and 483 ± 85 pg/ml, respectively (Fig. 3B). Here, IL1B is linked to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.