IDENTIFICATION AND DIAGNOSIS OF PULMONARY FIBROSIS USING MUCIN GENES, AND RELATED METHODS AND COMPOSITIONS

摘要

Individuals with polymorphisms in MUC5AC are more likely to develop idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP) or pulmonary fibrosis. This discovery provides methods to identify susceptible individuals, and also provides approaches to treatment in this life threatening disease that previously had no known beneficial therapy. Given the relatively high prevalence of some of these SNPs in the general population, it is likely that variants MUC5AC result in susceptibility to other fibroproliferative lung diseases, including asthma, chronic obstructive lung disease, granulomatous lung diseases, and pneumonconioses.