After adjusted for confounding factors including age, sex, PaO2/FiO2, WBCs, LDH, apoB, D-dimer, CEA, CYFRA21-1 and NSE, NLR was an independent risk factor for overall survival (OR=1.022, 95% CI 1.001-1.044, P=0.036) in patients with AE-IPF. This evidence concerns the gene APOB and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.