Background: The molecular pathways involved in the onset and progression of idiopathic
pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) still need to be fully clarified as some are shared with lung cancer development. HOXB7, a member of the homeobox (Hox) gene family, has been found involved in various
cancers. Methods: Immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis was run on lung tissue samples from surgical
lung biopsy (SLB) of 19 patients with IPF, retrospectively selected from the IPF database of the University Hospital of Modena. HOXB7 expression was analyzed and compared with that of five patients
with no evidence of pulmonary fibrosis as controls. Results: The semi-quantitative analysis of IHC
showed that HOXB7 protein expression was higher in IPF patients compared to controls (difference
between means = 6.2 ± 2.37, p = 0.0157). Further, HOXB7 expression was higher in IPF patients with a
higher extent of fibrosis (50–75%)—measured with high-resolution computer tomography—compared
to those with a lower extent (0–25%) (difference between means = 25.74 ± 6.72, p = 0.004). Conclusions:
The expression of HOXB7 is higher in the lung of IPF patients compared to controls, and was represented in different cellular compartments within the lung niche. Further investigations are needed to
clarify its role in the pathogenesis and progression of IPF