The balance between lung regulatory T cells and Th17 cells is a risk indicator for the acute exacerbation of interstitial lung disease after surgery: a case-control study

Abstract

Acute exacerbation (AE) of interstitial lung disease (ILD) (AE-ILD) is a life-threatening condition and the leading cause of 30-day mortality among patients who underwent pulmonary resection for lung cancer in Japan. This study was conducted to clarify the characteristics of the immune environment of lung tissues before the onset of AE-ILD.