Elevated levels of mediators of pulmonary fibrosis—including osteopontin, MMP7, CXCL7, CCL18—as well as eosinophil and neutrophil-derived proteins and proteins associated with fibroblast foci, have been observed in BALF from IPF patients using gel-free quantitative proteomics (HDMSE) and targeted multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). Here, MMP7 is linked to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.