A higher baseline CCL18 level predicted progression of ILD based on the course of the FVC (P < 0.001 for CYC; P = 0.007 for MMF) and DLco (P = 0.001 for CYC; P < 0.001 for MMF) over 1 year, as well as mortality (P = 0.0008 for CYC arm only).
Interrogating genes upregulated in bronchopulmonary dysplasia lungs indicated association with variants in CCL18, a cytokine associated with fibrosis and interstitial lung disease, and pathway analyses implicated variation in genes involved in immune/inflammatory processes in response to infection and mechanical ventilation.