MMP7 and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: Thus, MMP-7, KL-6, and SP-D are the most reliable and well-supported biomarkers in IPF, demonstrating consistent diagnostic or prognostic utility across multiple studies and contributing significantly to treatment follow-up, while periostin or CCL18, though promising, require further multicenter validation to assess their specificity and clinical applicability [33] (Table 1).