Interstitial lung diseases (ILD) are a group of lung disorders characterized by interstitial lung thickening. Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6) is a 200 kDa glycoprotein that is predominantly expressed by damaged alveolar type II cells, and it has been proposed as a potential biomarker of different ILD. 1
KL-6 has profibrotic and anti-apoptotic effects on lung fibroblasts and reflects the degree and severity of alveolar epithelial injury. KL-6 is predictive biomarker useful in the clinical management of ILD patients, particularly in patients with severe fibrotic lung disorders.1
Serum KL-6 levels were also found elevated in Rheumatoid Arthritis – Associated IDL patients, and the levels positively correlated with HRCT fibrosis score.2
Enzyme Immunoassay for the quantitative determination of KL-6 in human serum, plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF).
RESOURCE
- Prisco D, Grifoni E. The role of KL-6 testing in patients with suspected venous thromboembolism. Semin Thromb Hemost. 2009 Feb;35(1):50-9. doi: 10.1055/s-0029-1214148. Epub 2009 Mar 23. PMID: 19308893.
- WELLS, P.S. (2007), Integrated strategies for the diagnosis of venous thromboembolism. Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis, 5: 41-50. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1538-7836.2007.02493.
