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THE SERUM KL‐6 LEVELS IN UNTREATED IDIOPATHIC PULMONARY FIBROSIS CAN NATURALLY DECLINE IN ASSOCIATION WITH DISEASE PROGRESSION

cally. Data on epidemiology and pattern of ILDs are limited in Sri Lanka. We aimed to describe the epidemiology and pattern of ILDs in single center of Sri Lanka Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study conducted in a single tertiary care center of Sri Lanka. A random sample of patients who were diagnosed with ILDs according to standard criteria was selected. Demographic and clinical data were collected using medical records. Data were analyzed using Microsoft excel. Results: Total of 58 subjects were included, of which 36 (62.0%) were females. Mean age was 60.78 years (range 13–77). Twenty (34.4%) had idiopathic interstitial pneumonias (IIP), in which 12 (60%) were nonspecific interstitial pneumonias, 2 (10 %) idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, 2 (10%) desquamative interstitial pneumonias and 4 (20%) cryptogenic organizing pneumonias. 14 (24.1%) had ILDs secondary to well defined autoimmune diseases, of which there were 5 (35.7%) rheumatoid arthritis, 4 (28.5%) diffuse systemic sclerosis, 2 (14.2%) limited systemic sclerosis, 1 (7.1%) overlap syndrome, 1 (7.1%) mixed connective tissue disease and 1 (7.1 %) polymyositis. Furthermore, 7 (12.0%) were classified as interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune features (IPAF). There was one case of ILD secondary to amiodarone toxicity. Fourteen (24.1%) of total cohort were diagnosed with hypersensitivity pneumonitis and 1 (1.7%) had sarcoidosis. Conclusion: Secondary ILDs were more prevalent than idiopathic cases in the study population. Nonspecific interstitial pneumonia was the commonest type of IIP. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis, which accounted for nearly 1/4 of ILDs in study group, should be an important differential diagnosis for IIPs. IPAF, a newly described entity, was found in 12% of all ILDs. This should encourage further studies on this group.