Among them, the expression of 18 cytokines (IL-1Rα, IL-2Rα, IL-4, IL-7, IL-8, IL-16, IL-17, Eotaxin, G-CSF, HGF, MCP-1, SCF, MIP-1α, PDGF-BB, RANTES, TNF-α, CTACK, and MIF) was significantly higher in the discovery cohort (IPF patients) than in the control group, even after adjustment for age, sex, and smoking history. Here, IL7 is linked to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.