[Differential therapy of pulmonary fibrosis]

Pulmonary fibrosis is the final outcome of a numerous and heterogeneous group of pulmonary disorders grouped together under the family of diffuse parenchymal lung diseases. Safe identification of the underlying condition is difficult but is the prerequisite for any therapeutic attempt. In principle, diffuse parenchymal lung diseases may be divided into those forms being triggered by an initial inflammatory process (e. g. sarcoidosis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis), and those being most likely triggered by epithelial injury (idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis). Steroids and immunosuppressants do have their role in treatment of the former group, although the efficacy on long-term outcome is not entirely clear. In contrast, steroids and immunosuppressants are only rarely helpful in the latter condition. Novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis are currently under preclinical or clinical assessment and include antioxidative agents and agents that block alveolar coagulation or different growth factors.