Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41699651›Full record

ArticleRespiratory research2026

Geospatial and temporal trends of interstitial lung disease subtypes and KL-6 biomarker in China: a nationwide study (2016-2024).

Huimin Huang, Yifan Chen, Chenxin Liu, Mingtao Liu, Haiyang Li, Bingpeng Guo, Xu Chen, Peiyan Zheng, Yanting Fang, Biyun Guo and 1 more

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Article in Respiratory research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 1 paper.

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0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Huimin Huang *Department of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, China.
Yifan Chen *Department of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, China.
Chenxin Liu *Department of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, China.
Mingtao Liu *Department of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, China.
Haiyang LiDepartment of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, China.
Bingpeng GuoDepartment of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, China.
Xu ChenDepartment of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, China.
Peiyan ZhengDepartment of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, China.
Yanting FangDepartment of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, China.
Biyun GuoDepartment of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, China.
Baoqing SunDepartment of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, China. sunbaoqing@vip.163.com.

Funding

Guangdong Zhong Nanshan Medical Foundation 20220015Independent Project of the State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases SKLRD-Z-202305Nanshan Talent Project 2022111708151837Plan on Enhancing Scientific Research in GMU GMUCR2024-01009
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe burden of interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) in China is rising, yet large-scale, subtype-specific epidemiological data remain limited.

methodsWe retrospectively analyzed 7,195 hospitalized patients at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (January 2016—June 2024), including 6,824 ILD cases and 371 pneumonia controls. Clinical data included demographics, smoking, BMI, geographic region, and serum KL-6 levels.

resultAmong the 6,824 ILD patients, autoimmune-related ILD was the most prevalent subtype (34.33%), followed by idiopathic ILD (22.70%). Regionally analysis revealed significant variations: idiopathic ILD accounted for 52.14% of ILDs in Northeast China, while autoimmune-related ILD comprised 50.64% in South China, proportions significantly higher than in other regions. Serum KL-6 levels were highest in autoimmune-related ILD (1,140 U/mL), followed by idiopathic ILD (1,023 U/mL), both were significantly elevated compared to other subtypes. Notably, pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) exhibited the highest KL-6 levels among all subgroups (median: 2,503 U/mL). Logistic regression (vs. PN) identified smoking as an independent risk factor for idiopathic ILD (OR = 2.087, p < 0.001). Furthermore, KL-6 positivity (≥ 500 U/mL) was strongly associated with both idiopathic ILD (OR = 13.521, p < 0.001) and autoimmune-related ILD (OR = 16.682, p < 0.001).

conclusionThis study reveals a distinct “Northeast–Idiopathic and South–Autoimmune” distribution of ILD subtypes in China and highlights KL-6 variations among phenotypes. Extreme KL-6 elevation in pulmonary alveolar proteinosis suggests a biomarker for disease severity. These findings suggest that KL-6 can serve as an adjunctive aid in the differential diagnosis of certain ILD subtypes and provide a basis for precision medicine in ILD management.

Indexed as

Lung Diseases, InterstitialMucin-1AgedBiomarkersChinaFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesRisk FactorsTime FactorsBiomarkersMUC1 protein, humanMucin-1Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosisInterstitial lung diseasesKL-6Regional distributionRisk factors

Identifiers

PMID41699651
PMCPMC12937554

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.