The Coagulation Cascade in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Dabigatran · Not specified
About this trial
The pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is incompletely understood but recurrent epithelial injury occurs which evokes the coagulation cascade. Thrombin is produced as a result and is over expressed in IPF patients, so may be important in propagating disease activity. We aim to recruit patients with IPF and then complete FDG (18F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose fluorodeoxyglucose) PET (positron emission tomography) scans pre and post manipulation of the coagulation cascade to assess the role of this biological pathway in disease activity. Previous studies from our institution have demonstrated increased FDG avidity in the lungs of patients with IPF (assessed using FDG PET scans) but to date the cells and pathways responsible for this signal have not been identified and thus need further exploration.