Altered epigenetic features in circulating nucleosomes in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive, fatal lung disorder of unknown origin with a highly variable and unpredictable clinical course. Polymorphisms and environmentally induced epigenetic variations seem to determine individual susceptibility to the development of lung fibrosis.

Methods: We have studied circulating epitopes on cell-free nucleosomes (cfnucleosomes) in 50 IPF patients.