Description
Rationale: The fibrosing idiopathic interstitial pneumonias (IIPs) are classified based on clinical, radiographic, and pathologic criteria. The separation into phenotypic subgroups is useful in predicting outcome and therapeutic strategy; however a large degree of ambiguity remains. Gene expression profiling may contribute to traditional criteria in IIPs by characterizing the dynamic biology that more accurately distinguishes subtypes of these diseases or their prognoses.