Observational studyRMD open2026
Serum KL-6 and lung ultrasound B-lines: a combined non-invasive model for screening and predicting interstitial lung disease in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy.
Observational study in RMD open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Association of Serum KL-6 with Functional Impairment in Patients with Immune-Mediated Interstitial Lung Disease.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
20 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundInterstitial lung disease (ILD) is a major pulmonary complication of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM), where early diagnosis improves outcomes. While high-resolution CT (HRCT) remains the gold standard, its radiation exposure poses concerns. Serum Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6) and lung ultrasound (LUS) B-lines offer non-invasive alternatives, though their optimal diagnostic cut-offs and combined utility for IIM-ILD remain undefined. This study aimed to establish these cut-offs, evaluate diagnostic performance and develop a clinical prediction model.
methodsIn this single-centre observational study, 162 patients diagnosed with IIM between 2020 and 2024 were enrolled. All underwent serum KL-6 testing, and 120 received systematic 50-point LUS examinations. Using HRCT as the reference standard for ILD diagnosis, receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine optimal cut-offs and construct a combined nomogram.
resultsKL-6 levels were significantly elevated in the ILD group (n=113) compared with non-ILD (n=49). The optimal KL-6 cut-off was 553 U/mL (area under the curve (AUC)=0.895, sensitivity 69%, specificity 95.9%). For LUS B-lines number, 25 was recommended as the clinical threshold (sensitivity 98.8%). Their combination enhanced diagnostic performance (AUC=0.984). An online prediction model demonstrated strong clinical applicability. In an exploratory analysis of the rapid-progressive ILD subgroups, KL-6 and B-lines showed only modest predictive value (AUC ≈ 0.65).
conclusionKL-6 ≥553 U/mL and B-lines ≥25 are effective screening thresholds, with combined use significantly improving diagnostic accuracy. The prediction model provides a practical tool for early identification in similar clinical settings. To optimise and generalise its use, external validation in multicentre cohorts is warranted.
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