Fig. 1: Analysis and cellular localization of HE4 expression in patients with IPF and mice with BLM stimulation.

A HE4 gene expression was reanalyzed in patients with IPF (n = 122) and controls (n = 91) from subset GPL14550 in dataset GSE47460, with differential expression FDR-adjusted p-value. B Linear relationship and association between lung function, such as FVC % (n = 119) and DLCO % (n = 110) predicted, and log of HE4 gene expression in patients with IPF from subset GPL14550 in dataset GSE47460. C Plasma HE4 concentrations in control (n = 47) and patients with IPF (n = 30). D Representative images of HE4 immunostaining in lung sections of control and patient with IPF (n = 6). IgG staining was used as a control. Scale bar = 10 μm. E qRT-PCR analysis of HE4 mRNA expression in lung tissues of mice with BLM stimulation (n = 6). F Western blot analysis of HE4 and fibronectin protein expression in lung homogenates of BLM-challenged mice (n = 6). G-H HE4 concentrations in BALF and plasma from mice with BLM induction (n = 6). I Representative results of HE4 immunostaining in lung sections of mice 21 d after saline or BLM treatment (n = 6). IgG staining was used as a control. Scale bar = 10 μm. J Representative results for multiplex immunofluorescence of HE4 (red), SP-C (green), and vimentin (white) in lung sections of mice. The nuclei were stained blue by DAPI. Red arrows: HE4⁺SP-C⁺ cells. Scale bar = 20 μm. ns, not significant. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01. Data are represented as means ± SEM. The group size ‘n’ refers to biologically independent samples/animals.