Detection of interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune features and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis are enhanced by involvement of matrix metalloproteinases levels and clinical diagnosis.

Clinical risk factors and MMPs are strongly associated with either stratification of the disease of progression of IPAF or in two IPAF and IPF independent cohorts. To our knowledge, this is the first to illustrate that MMP-12 and MMP-13 may be expected to become typical promising biomarkers in Improvement - IPAF and Exacerbation - IPAF, respectively.