{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,23]],"date-time":"2026-04-23T06:36:00Z","timestamp":1776926160243,"version":"3.51.2"},"reference-count":25,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,23]],"date-time":"2026-04-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1776902400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Med."],"abstract":"\n Background<\/jats:title>\n Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive and fatal interstitial lung disease (ILD) with limited monitoring tools. Lung ultrasound (LUS) has emerged as a promising radiation-free alternative, but its clinical utility in IPF requires further validation. This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the correlation between quantitative LUS parameters and established disease severity markers in IPF patients.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n An observational study was conducted in eligible IPF patients. Participants underwent comprehensive assessment including clinical questionnaires, pulmonary function tests, serum KL-6 measurement, high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT), and a standardized LUS protocol. Correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were performed to examine the relationships between LUS indices and conventional severity markers.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n \n The analysis included 47 IPF patients stratified by DLCO% predicted (\u226560% mild, &lt;60% moderate\u2013severe). The moderate\u2013severe group showed significantly higher B-line counts, B-line scores, pleural scores, diaphragm thickness and lower diaphragm thickening fraction (\n p\u202f&lt;<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f0.05). B-line count, B-line score, pleural score, and diaphragmatic thickness all exhibited significant negative correlations with DLCO% predicted (r\u202f=\u202f\u22120.84,\n p\u202f&lt;<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f0.01; r\u202f=\u202f\u22120.87,\n p\u202f&lt;<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f0.01; r\u202f=\u202f\u22120.80,\n p\u202f&lt;<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f0.01; and r\u202f=\u202f\u22120.58,\n p\u202f&lt;<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f0.05, respectively). Conversely, the diaphragmatic thickening fraction showed a significant positive correlation with DLCO% predicted (r\u202f=\u202f0.44,\n p\u202f&lt;<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f0.05). Multivariable regression analyses identified DLCO% predicted as a significant negative indicator of B-line count (\n \u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f\u22120.604,\n p\u202f&lt;<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f0.001), B-line score (\n \u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f\u22120.846,\n p\u202f&lt;<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f0.001), and pleural score (\n \u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f\u22120.860,\n p\u202f&lt;<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f0.001). SGRQ score was positively associated with both B-line count (\n \u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f0.308,\n p<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f0.019) and B-line score (\n \u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f0.336,\n p<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f0.012). Warrick score exhibited a positive association with B-line count (\n \u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f0.240,\n p<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f0.015) but a negative association with pleural score (\n \u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f\u22120.295,\n p<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f0.011). BMI also showed a negative association with pleural score (\n \u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f\u22120.233,\n p<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f0.016).\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n Quantitative LUS parameters show strong and consistent correlations with clinical, functional, serological, and radiographic markers of IPF severity. These findings support the potential utility of LUS as a comprehensive, non-invasive tool for multidimensional disease assessment in IPF patients.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2026.1821397","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,23]],"date-time":"2026-04-23T05:36:47Z","timestamp":1776922607000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Correlation analysis between quantitative lung ultrasound parameters and pulmonary function in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: an observational study"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Ting","family":"Zhou","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Chengdu Sixth People's Hospital","place":["Chengdu, Sichuan, China"]},{"name":"Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China","place":["Chengdu, Sichuan, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Xing","family":"He","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Health and Multimorbidity, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University","place":["Chengdu, Sichuan, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Xueming","family":"Ju","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ultrasound, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China","place":["Chengdu, Sichuan, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Chun","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Chengdu Sixth People's Hospital","place":["Chengdu, Sichuan, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Hui","family":"Fang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China","place":["Chengdu, Sichuan, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yang","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China","place":["Chengdu, Sichuan, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jiao","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China","place":["Chengdu, Sichuan, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Chunhong","family":"Yang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China","place":["Chengdu, Sichuan, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lu","family":"Guo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China","place":["Chengdu, Sichuan, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2022","DOI":"10.1183\/13993003.00957-2022","article-title":"Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: state of the art for 2023","volume":"61","author":"Podolanczuk","year":"2023","journal-title":"Eur Respir J"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"566","DOI":"10.1016\/S2213-2600(14)70101-8","article-title":"Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in US Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older: incidence, prevalence, and survival, 2001-11","volume":"2","author":"Raghu","year":"2014","journal-title":"Lancet Respir Med"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"152406","DOI":"10.1016\/j.semarthrit.2024.152406","article-title":"Standardization of interstitial lung disease assessment by ultrasound: results from a Delphi process and web-reliability exercise by the OMERACT ultrasound working group","volume":"65","author":"Delle Sedie","year":"2024","journal-title":"Semin Arthritis Rheum"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1382","DOI":"10.1093\/rheumatology\/kep263","article-title":"Ultrasound lung comets in systemic sclerosis: a chest sonography hallmark of pulmonary interstitial fibrosis","volume":"48","author":"Gargani","year":"2009","journal-title":"Rheumatology"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"119","DOI":"10.1007\/s10067-019-04686-z","article-title":"The predictive role of lung ultrasound in progression of scleroderma interstitial lung disease","volume":"39","author":"Gasperini","year":"2020","journal-title":"Clin Rheumatol"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"213","DOI":"10.1007\/s11739-015-1329-y","article-title":"Lung ultrasound in systemic sclerosis: correlation with high-resolution computed tomography, pulmonary function tests and clinical variables of disease","volume":"11","author":"Gigante","year":"2016","journal-title":"Intern Emerg Med"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"181","DOI":"10.1007\/s11547-015-0590-5","article-title":"High-resolution computed tomography and rheumatoid arthritis: semi-quantitative evaluation of lung damage and its correlation with clinical and functional abnormalities","volume":"121","author":"Yilmazer","year":"2016","journal-title":"Radiol Med"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"206","DOI":"10.1186\/s13075-017-1409-7","article-title":"Usefulness of lung ultrasound B-lines in connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease: a literature review","volume":"19","author":"Wang","year":"2017","journal-title":"Arthritis Res Ther"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"437","DOI":"10.2147\/CIA.S156615","article-title":"The reliability of lung ultrasound in assessment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis","volume":"13","author":"Manolescu","year":"2018","journal-title":"Clin Interv Aging"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"135","DOI":"10.1016\/j.arbres.2021.03.018","article-title":"Different faces of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis with preserved forced vital capacity","volume":"58","author":"Bermudo","year":"2022","journal-title":"Arch Bronconeumol"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e18","DOI":"10.1164\/rccm.202202-0399ST","article-title":"Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (an update) and progressive pulmonary fibrosis in adults: an official ATS\/ERS\/JRS\/ALAT clinical practice guideline","volume":"205","author":"Raghu","year":"2022","journal-title":"Am J Respir Crit Care Med"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"379","DOI":"10.1055\/s-0041-110590","article-title":"Lung ultrasonography in the evaluation of interstitial lung disease in systemic connective tissue diseases: criteria and severity of pulmonary fibrosis - analysis of 52 patients","volume":"37","author":"Buda","year":"2016","journal-title":"Ultraschall Med"},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1659","DOI":"10.1378\/chest.14-1313","article-title":"BLUE-protocol and FALLS-protocol: two applications of lung ultrasound in the critically ill","volume":"147","author":"Lichtenstein","year":"2015","journal-title":"Chest"},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3888","DOI":"10.1088\/1361-6560\/ad3888","article-title":"Combining quantitative and qualitative analysis for scoring pleural line in lung ultrasound","volume":"69","author":"Xing","year":"2024","journal-title":"Phys Med Biol"},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"160","DOI":"10.1186\/s40001-023-01117-3","article-title":"Prognostic value of the early lung ultrasound B-line score for postoperative pulmonary insufficiency in patients undergoing thoracic surgery: an observational study","volume":"28","author":"He","year":"2023","journal-title":"Eur J Med Res"},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3701","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm14113701","article-title":"A proposal for a new lung ultrasound score in rheumatoid arthritis: the reliability of lung ultrasound for rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease diagnosis","volume":"14","author":"Vicente-Rabaneda","year":"2025","journal-title":"J Clin Med"},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e5278","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.e5278","article-title":"Sample size calculations: should the emperor's clothes be off the peg or made to measure?","volume":"345","author":"Norman","year":"2012","journal-title":"BMJ"},{"key":"ref18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"197","DOI":"10.1186\/s12931-021-01791-z","article-title":"Global incidence and prevalence of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis","volume":"22","author":"Maher","year":"2021","journal-title":"Respir Res"},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"577","DOI":"10.1007\/s00134-012-2513-4","article-title":"International evidence-based recommendations for point-of-care lung ultrasound","volume":"38","author":"Volpicelli","year":"2012","journal-title":"Intensive Care Med"},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"163","DOI":"10.1080\/17476348.2019.1565997","article-title":"The role of ultrasound lung artifacts in the diagnosis of respiratory diseases","volume":"13","author":"Soldati","year":"2019","journal-title":"Expert Rev Respir Med"},{"key":"ref21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0566","DOI":"10.1097\/MD.0000000000010566","article-title":"Ultrasound B-lines in the evaluation of interstitial lung disease in patients with systemic sclerosis: cut-off point definition for the presence of significant pulmonary fibrosis","volume":"97","author":"Tardella","year":"2018","journal-title":"Medicine (Baltimore)"},{"key":"ref22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"SI56","DOI":"10.1093\/rheumatology\/keab801","article-title":"Lung ultrasound B-lines in systemic sclerosis: cut-off values and methodological indications for interstitial lung disease screening","volume":"61","author":"Gargani","year":"2022","journal-title":"Rheumatology (Oxford)"},{"key":"ref23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"29","DOI":"10.1007\/s00134-016-4524-z","article-title":"Assessment of diaphragmatic dysfunction in the critically ill patient with ultrasound: a systematic review","volume":"43","author":"Zambon","year":"2017","journal-title":"Intensive Care Med"},{"key":"ref24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e20200064","DOI":"10.36416\/1806-3756\/e20200064","article-title":"Diaphragmatic ultrasound: a review of its methodological aspects and clinical uses","volume":"46","author":"Santana","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Bras Pneumol"},{"key":"ref25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"642","DOI":"10.1007\/s00134-015-3687-3","article-title":"Measuring diaphragm thickness with ultrasound in mechanically ventilated patients: feasibility, reproducibility and validity","volume":"41","author":"Goligher","year":"2015","journal-title":"Intensive Care Med"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Medicine"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fmed.2026.1821397\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,23]],"date-time":"2026-04-23T05:36:48Z","timestamp":1776922608000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fmed.2026.1821397\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,23]]},"references-count":25,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fmed.2026.1821397"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fmed.2026.1821397","relation":{},"ISSN":["2296-858X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2296-858X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,23]]},"article-number":"1821397"}}