Advanced research of KL-6 in respiratory diseases

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a group of diffuse lung diseases that mainly affect the pulmonary interstitium and alveolar space, resulting in the loss of alveolar-capillary functional units, so early diagnosis is the key to effective management of ILD.Thoracic high-resolution CT, pulmonary function tests, bronchoscopy and lung biopsy are effective means for diagnosis of ILD, and can assess disease severity and treatment efficacy.But it is costly, radiant and invasive.Studies have found that alveolar type Ⅱ cell surface antigen 6 (KL-6) is a promising serological marker for ILD, which is significantly associated with the occurrence, progression, drug efficacy and prognosis of ILD.It is also found that KL-6 also plays an important role in other respiratory diseases.This article reviews the research progress of KL-6 in respiratory diseases. Key words: KL-6; Lung diseases, interstitial