The Role of Gastric Content Microaspirations in the Pathogenesis of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

The pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is debatable. Looking for an insult to lung parenchyma that generates the pathogenesis of the disease is challenging. Pepsin is a proteolytic enzyme present in the gastric juice. Microaspirations of gastric content were described as a potential factor for injury in many chronic lung disorders. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is a routine investigation technique in interstitial lung diseases. The presence of pepsin in the BAL fluid recovered from patients with IPF may indicate a possible role for gastric microaspirations in the pathogenesis of the disease.