MUC1 and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: Regarding blood biomarkers related to the disease process, previous studies have reported that baseline or longitudinal changes in the expression of the following markers are associated with IPF prognosis: matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), such as MMP-7 [3–5] and MMP-10 [6]; Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6); surfactant protein-D (SP-D) produced by type II alveolar epithelial cells [7]; intercellular adhesion molecule-1 [3]; epithelial cell markers, such as carbohydrate antigen 19–9 [4] and carcinoembryonic antigen [8]; and periostin [9], a component of the extracellular matrix.