The most significant upregulation of CALM1/CALM2/CALM3, the downstream targets of the KNG1–BDKRB1 signaling and the upstream targets of the IL6–IL6R/IL6ST signaling, was detected in macrophages in the IPF lung (Fig. 7A, Supplementary Table S6). Here, IL6 is linked to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.