Since it is not known which cell type might harbor EBV within IPF lung, and to avoid “lack of detection” errors due to EBV infection status, primers spanning the EBV latent genes, EBNA1, Qp and LMP1, as well as the EBV lytic gene Zta were employed for RT-qPCR. This evidence concerns the gene PDLIM7 and Epstein-Barr virus infection.